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Lg' 


RALPH  j.  SMITH 

Oompan.V  K,  Second  Texas  Infantry.     Rora 

at  Centerville,  St.  Mar.v'.s  Parish,  La,, 

July  19th,  lb40.     Now  resident 

of  San  Marcos,  Hiys 

County.  Texas 


Reminlsences  of  Civil  War 

By  Ralph  J.  Smith,  Sometimes  Private. 


1x1  the  year  1861  the  grim  viitjagied  ,  matter  of  few  momths  uatil  we  would 
god  of  waj-  i-eigned  supreme  through-  return  home  covered  with  glory 
ouc  Texas.  In  June  of  thart,  year  Ex- I  and  ronown.  The  possibility  of  such 
Governor  Stocokdale,  a  man  of  brll-  \  a  thinig  as  defeat  never  for  a  mom- 


liant  attaiaimenits  as  well  as  a  fiery 
Southern  patriot,  spoke  to  a  large  au- 
dience of  citiizems  of  Jacfcsoai  County 
in  the  court  house  of  the  town  of  Tex- 
anna.  His  eloquent  pleadings  of  the 
Confederate  cause,  for  he  was  migh- 
tier  in  words  than  deeds,  oneated  great 
excitemejit  and  enthusiasm  through- 
out the  Siurrounding  country,  inflam- 
ing the  minds  of  his  hearersi,  espec- 
ially the  young  men,  to  feiver  heat, 
and  they  were  eager  to  enter  (the  fray 
and  drive  the  cruel  invader  of  their 
beloved  land  off  the  earth  or  surren- 
der their  liives  in  the  attempt.     So  I 


ent  entered  the  mmxi  of  a  member  of 
our  inexperiienoed  corps.  Day  after 
day  we  were  dined,  wined  and  flat- 
tered. Night  lafter  niight  we  floated 
upon  a  s.ea  of  glory.  The  ladies  pet- 
ted and  lionized  us;  preachers  pray- 
ed with  and  for  us,  deolarimg  that  th© 
lord  was  on  our  side,  so  we  need 
have  no  fears.  Alas  how  soon  we  were 
to  realize  the  truth  of  epigram  that 
the  lord  was  on  the  side  with  the  big- 
g.est  gunis. 
While  in  this  camp  that  brainy  old 
war  veteran,  Ex-iPre&ident  of  the  Re- 
public of  Texas,  Cenenal  Sam  Hous- 


lost  no  time  in  joininaiig  the  oampainy  ton,  made  us  a  talk  calculated  to 
then  beimg  arganized  by  Clark  Owen  ;  dampen  the  ardor  of  men  less  imtoxi- 
who  up  to  this  time  was  a  strong  Un- 1  cated  than  we  poor  boys  with  pomp 
ion.  man,  opposing  secession,  who  be-  j  and  glory  of  war.  He  told  us  we  knew 
came    our    Captain.     He    was    a    man   not  what  we  did;    that  the  resources 


about  fifty-five  years  oM  and  a  Chris- 
tian gentleman. 

1  wish  I  were  able  to  describe  the 
glorious  anticipation  of  the  first  few 
days  of  our  military  lives,  when  we 
each  felt  individually  able  to  charge 
and  anihiliaite  a  whole  company  of 
blue  coats.  What  brilliant  speeches 
we  made  and  the  dinners  the  good 
people  spread  for  us,  and  Oh  the  ibe- 
witchiing  female  eyes  that  pierced  the 
breasts  of  our  grey  unif  ormc,  stopping 
temporarily  the  heart  beats  of  many  a 
feUow  that  the  enemies  bullets,  were 
destined  &oon  to  do-  forever. 

On  the  10th  of  October  we  werei  or- 
dered to  Houston  where  we  were  mob 
ili^d  into  the  Second  Texas  Infan- 
try, commanded  by  Colonel  John  C. 
Moore,  our  company  designated  Com- 
pany K.  Here  again  all  was  excite- 
ment:  and  all  felt  that  it  was  only  a 


of  the  north  were  almost  exhaustleas 
That  time  and  money  would  wear  us 
out  an.d  oonquoa-  us  at  last  However 
he  might  as  well  had  ibeen  gi vdng  ad- 
vice to  the  inmates  of  a  lunatdcK  asy- 
lum.    We  knew  no  such  word  as  fail. 

On  the  22nd  of  March,  1861.  af- 
ter months  of  impatiiont  waiting,  w* 
were  ordered  to  the  front.  M  last 
a  thousand  hearts  beat  happily.  Hur- 
rii^dly  boarding  a  train  we  were  car- 
ried to  Beaumont  by  rail,  thence  by 
boat  to  Wise's  Bluff,  head  of  naviga- 
tion on  the  Neches  rdiver.  From  there 
were  marched  to  Alexandria,  La-. 
thence  transponts  eamrdied  us  down  Red 
river  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Mem- 
phis, Tennessee,  where  we  imm' d - 
ifitplv  boflrded  a  railroad  train  for  Cor- 
inth Mississdippi. 

After  four  daj's  rest  at  Corinth  we 
receiived    orders    to    cook    three    day? 


1. 


rations,  preparatory  to  marching  to 
bliiioli,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  tweaity 
five  miiles  East.  We  marched  on  the 
thifl'd  day  of  April,  advan.cing  slowly 
on  aocomi't  of  th«  wretche<l  coadiition 
of  the  road.  Of  oouiriie  we  ate  our 
rations  in  thie  finat  tweaiy  tour  h.ours, 
it  being  a  woil-knowm.  iioldiier's  max- 
im that  rations  aie  carrd'ed  easier  in 
tile  fiitomach  than  oil  the  back.  After 
floundering  througii  the  alusto  for  two 
days  we  ihrew  our  tired  bodies  down 
in  a  muddy  corn  field  where  drows- 
ing aind  freezing,  hungry  and  soak- 
ing we  speinit  the  last  night  before  our 
initiation  into  the  horroa-s  of  real  war. 

The"  next   moi'jiinig,       Sunday   April , 
6  th  we  went  into  tb©  hard  fought  bat-*! 
tie    of    Shiloh.     I    S'h.all    not    attempt  } 
to  give  a  detailed   discription   of   the  I 
bloody     encounteir.     A  private    soldier 
has  n.o  knowledge  of  military  move-  , 
menitis  outside  of  his  iiameddajte  sur- 
roundings.    In  fa<5t  men   of  the  rank  | 
and  file  are  often  puffed  up  wiith  the 
pride  of  victory  only  to  find  out  some-^ 
time   after waj-ds     that    he    had   been  j 
well-whipped.     In  great     battles   wiith  j 
thousands  on     each    side  ,     especial-  ' 
ly   privates,   are   like  little  screws  in 
the  wheel  of  a  giant  machimie.     They 
are  carried  along  by  the  pow.©r  that 
moves  the  whole  mass  without  know-  ', 
ing  where  or  why.  i 

About  nine  o'clock  with  empty  stom:  ; 
achs  and  appetites  made  voracious  by 
the  faint  smell  of  commissaries  emin- 
ating  from  General  Grant's  camp  our  i 
regiment  went  into  the  midst  of  the  i 
fighit.  All  I  remember  for  the  first 
few  minutes  after  was  a  terrible  noise 
great  smoke,  incessant  rattling  of 
small  arms,  infernal  confusion  and 
then  I  reaJdzed  that  the  whole  linie 
of  the  enemy  was  In  disorderly  retreat 
We  followed  them  close  for  fear  they 
would  carry  off  their  commissaries 
but  they  did  not  appear  to  be  as  hun- 
gry as  we  were  and  dashed  through 
the  camp  without  the  slightest  halt, 
while  we  prepared  for  the  morrow  by 


taking  posseBsion  of  the  stores.  Our 
regiment,  the  Second  Texas,  raw  re- 
criuts  and  weak  froiin  hungej-  as  it 
were,  behaved  like  veterans,  and  al- 
though 1  have  s<een  the  honor  claim- 
ed in  print  by  others,  it  undoubted- 
ly played  the  pxincipal  rodi  in  tJie 
capture  of  the  brigade  of  General  Pren* 
tice.  1  witnessed  the  General  surren- 
der hiis  sword  to  Colonel  Moore  and 
saw  the  men  lay  down  their  arms  and 
maa-ch  to  th©  rear  under  guard.  In 
the  words  of  Sargeant  Bill,  wit  of  our 
reginaent,  (of  whom  more  hereafter) 
"This  day's  fight  was  as  easy  as 
seining  for  suckefs." 

When  evening  shades  began  to  draw 
a  curtain  over  the  bloody  field  Gen- 
eral (jrjuifs  forces,  disorganized  and 
beaten,  could  be  seen  like  a  great 
unordered  mass.,  huddled  under  the 
canons  of  the  gunboats.  The  spiteful 
crack  of  small  arms  gradually  ceas- 
ed and  we  prepared  to  accept  a  elight 
token  of  the  regai-ds  presented  to  us 
by  the  enemy  in  the  shape  of  quarter- 
master's stores,  comnxissaries  etc. 
Oh  how  empty  we  found  ourselves 
now  that  we  had  time  to  think  of  it. 
Having  inflated  our  anatomies  with 
crackers,  sausage,  pigs  feet,  macaro- 
ni.  sugar  caffee  etc.  we  began  to  se- 
lect such  blankets  overcoats  and  oth- 
i^*-  clothing  as  we  felt  the  need  of.  It 
soon  began  to  be  rumored  among  us 
that  our  Commander,  General  Albert 
Sidney  Johnson  was  dead  upon  the 
field.  No  man  who  has  not  been  a 
soldier  can  appreciate  the  change  this 
news  brought  in  the  morale  of  our 
whole  army.  Although  still  rejoicing 
over  the  resu't  of  the  battle,  the  fac- 
es of  the  men  showed  rather  the  grim 
satisfaction  of  the  successful  gladia- 
tor than  the  glad  exultant  S'mile  of 
the  mirth-crowned  warrior.  To  his 
dea/th  the  soldiers  almost  universally 
attributed  their  failure  to  obtain  vic- 
tory on  the  next  day,  but  now  we 
kno\v    iliere  were  other  causes. 


(irawt's  reiinforceinafnts  wer«j  larger 
iu  nuniibeir  ithan  we  tJtiougihit.  and  I  &m 
afraiid  that  faiilurie  to  desitroy  all  or 
nearly  all  thie  captured  evippliies,  con- 
tributed largeily  to  our  repulKe.  j 
AJany  of  our  boya  w<3re  raw  recruits 
who  had  yet  to  learu  that  a  battle  Je  I 
never  ovier  as  lonig'  aa  the  enemy  is  | 
in  sight.  Our  victory  had  eieeiuingly  ' 
been  so  ccanplieite  that  it  was  every-  j 
where  neipont&d  in  the  rauka  that  the 
battle  was  over,  all  we  would  have  to 
do  next  day  would  be  to  tak^e  charge 
of  tjirant'a  Army,  whixjh  was  ready  to 
sui'iTender,  1  eaw  numbers  of  men 
proceeding  to  the  rear  loaded  with 
clothiiHig  amd  supplies.  Poor  fellows, 
they  had  been  hungry  so  long  and 
wet  so  much,  they  had  fought  so  long 
and  so  gallia/ntly  for  them  they  were 
no  doubt  conviniced  that  they  had  earn 
ed  a  little  comfort  and  rest,  though  it 
would  noit  have  changed  the  ultimate 
result  of  the  war,  probably  would 
have  proloiaged  the  bloody  and  use- 
less struggle. 

For  the  honor  of  the  boys  I  have 
often  regreitted  that  we  did  not  give 
(irant  time  to  apply  the  torch  to  his 
stores.  Wonn  out  but  for  once  not 
hungry,  we  slept  through  the  night. 
Though  the  clouds  poured  down  a 
perfect  deluge  those  who  had  escap- 
ed wounds  or  guard  duty  knew  It  not 
until  the  roar  of  artillery  awoke  us 
the  next  morning. 

About  ten  o'clock  on  the  7th  the 
Second  Texas  was  ordered  to  charge 
a  masked  battery,  supported  by  a 
brigade  in  ambush.  This  was  a  warm 
corner  indeed,  for  in  a  very  sliort  time 
the  regiment  lost  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  inicludimg  ithe  captain  of  my 
company.  The  wriitier  was  &oon  after 
wounded  in  the  left  leg,  falling  in 
the  eniemy's  line  and  was  of  course 
captured.  So  I  would  advise  all  boys 
.going  into  battle  to  avoid  being  shot 
in  the  left  leg  below  the  knee. for  it 
is  a  daily  reminder  to  me  of  that 
piagtaked  war. 

Our  army,  failing  to  break  the  ene-- 

3. 


my'fii  line,  hastily  fell  back  to  Corin- 
th and  I  was  a  priisonieir  at  the  ten* 
der  imeroies  of  th©  foe.  Our  army  at 
the  battle  of  Shiloh  n)iim,bered  forty 
thousand  and  three  hiumdred  and 
Grant's  forces  on  the  fiinst  day  num- 
bered forty  nine  thou/sand.  After 
General  Buell  reinforced  him  on  the 
night  of  the  Bth  be  had  Sieventy  thousj 
and  aixd  ea,ght  hundred.  We  lost  in 
killed,  wounded  and  missing,  ten  thou- 
sand and  seven  hufladred.  Granit'si  Iosb.- 
es  accordiing  to  General  Sherman's 
statement,,  was  thirteen  thousand 
five  hundred  and  s.evenity-ithree. 

My  wound  was  bandaged  and  toge- 
ther with  imany  others  of  both  blue 
and  grey  I  was  sent  to  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
vyhere  a  hospital  for  prisoners  was 
fiitted  up  by  some  angels  in  female 
forms  called  Rebel  Sympathi?ers. 
Human  Sympathizers  would  have  been 
a  much  more  appropriate  name,  for 
those  blg-hearteid  ladies.  1  am  sure 
knew  neither  North  nor  South,  but 
that  all  jnankind  were  their  brotliers. 
The  hospital  was  located  in  McDow- 
ell's College  on  Gratiot  s.treet  and 
many  a  wounded  Confederate  has 
cause  to  thank  heaven  and  woman- 
kind for  the  delicate  care  he  received 
therein. 

Tile  physician  into  whose  hands  I 
fell  had  at  one  time  lived  in  Houston, 
Texas,  and  strange  to  say,  out  of  the 
thousand  or  more  wounded  prisoners 
I  was  the  only  Texan  in  that  depart- 
ment of  the  hospital,  so  the  doctor 
was  particuliarly  kind  to  me,  in  re- 
turn for  which,  as  a  slight  token  of 
my  gratitude,  I  made  a  pipe  of  stone 
with  my  name  engraved  on  it,  also 
name  and  number  of  my  company  and 
regiment  and  presented  iit  to  him  as  a 
souvenir.  He  seemd  to  prize  it  very 
highly. 

To  the  doctor  and  the  ladies  of  the 
city  who  supplied  me  with  food  more 
appropriate  for  the  sick  than  prison- 
ers of  war  are  furnisihed  I  owe  my 
fife,  for  weak  and  exhau'Sted  from  loss 
o^  blood  my  condition  was  critical  for 


sometime,    iioLwiithstandiiing    the    care 
they  bestowed  u{K>n  me. 

There  were  a  dozen  or  more  Cojvfed- 
erate  officers  near  where  I  was  in 
tlie  hospital  and  one  day  they  were 
amufiiing  themselves  by  sa/n^ing  Dixie 
and  other  sooigs  when  a  German  U.  S 
Captaim  ordered  thean  to  stop.  They 
paid  no  attenitlon  to  him  and  cooitioi- 
ued  to  sing,  whereupon  he  became  fur- 
ious and  ordered  ithe  guard  to  fire  iih- 
to  their  room  which  they  po-omptly 
did.  No  one  was  hurt,  however,  but 
tho  Catpain,  who  I  heard,  was  cash- 
iered. At  any  rate  we  aever  saw 
him  again. 

Aiter  about  three  months  im  St. 
Louis  in  College  I  learned  some  things 
and  my  wound  beimg  healed,  for  some 
ci'iuse  I  was  removed  to  the  peniten- 
tiary at  Alton  Illiinois,  which  I  en- 
joyed more  than  beiaig  iji  college,  as 
I  soon  recruited  souffioiently  to  throw 
away  my  crutches  and  enjoy  the  asiso- 
ciatioii  of  the  one  thousand  other 
prisoners,  whom  the  Uniited  States 
had  kiindly  seint  North  to  spend  the 
summer  amd  recuperate  and  gather 
su-ength  for  the  fatigue  of  coming 
campaigns.  We  received  as  good  treat- 
ment iin  the  Alton  prison  as  prisoners 
could  expect  In  time  of  war.  We  re- 
lieved the  tedduim  of  our  confinment 
by  manufacturing  every  conceivable 
kind  of  trinklet  of  stone,  wood,  or 
any  other  material  we  could  get  that 
our  few  tools  would  work.  I  saw  a  vio- 
lin made  there  that  was  a  work  of  arit. 

There  was  great  excitement  among 
the  officers  and  guards  of  the  prison 
one  night.  I  learned  next  morning 
that  a  Missouri  officer,  Colonel  Mc- 
I-^ughlin,  and  twenty- five  of  his  men 
had  escaped  by  tunneling  tinder  the 
prison  waUs.  Of  cour-se  the  outside 
sentinel  had  been  bribed,  at  least  we 
so  thought. 

After  three  months  of  prison  life 
at  Alton  we  were  marched  on  board 
transports,  which  were  protected  by 
gunboats,  and  conveyed  to  within  one 
mile  and  opposiite  Viicksburg  landing. 


where  we  were  regularly  exchanged 
and  soon  or eased  over  to  Vlcksburg 
where  the  sympathizing  sons  and 
daughters  of  DdxLe,  in  anticipation  of 
our  arrival,  had  prepared  a  bountiful 
feast  for  us,  such  a  one  as  makes  a 
ragged  soldier  feel  like  rising  up  at 
itri  end  and  exclaiming:  "Fate  can- 
not harm  me  today  foi'  1  have  din- 
ed." 

After  eating  until  the  provender 
did  not  tastte  good  any  more  I  con- 
cluded to  look  around  for  some  one  I 
knew  and  soon  discovered  the  fami- 
liar faces  of  seventeen  of  the  Second 
Texas  boys,  who  had  been  captured 
like  myself,  at  Shiloh,  but  had  been 
in  prison  at  Camp  Douglas  near  Chir 
cago  and  had  Just  been  exchanged. 

Concludijig  that  we  were  free  to  re- 
sume our  ccoupation  of  wreatling  with 
the  boys  in  blue  for  possession  of 
their  commissaries  and  to  meet  with 
success  would  need  the  rest  of  the 
boys,  we  boarded  a  train  for  .Jackson 
Mississippi,  in  search  of  our  regiment. 
Not  hearing  anything  of  it  upoai  our 
arrival  there  went  into  an  exchange 
camp  nearby  on  Pearl  River,  electing 
a  captain  of  our  little  company  in 
order  to  draw  rations. 

We  promptly  began  to  woiTy  Gen- 
eral Pemberton,  his  adjutants  and 
every  one  eke  who  would  listen  to  us 
with  anxious  and  repeated  requests  for 
information  as  to  the  whereahouts  of 
the  Second  Texas,  for  we  were  all 
exceedingly  eager  for  a  sight  of  the 
boys  once  more.  Ten  or  twelive  days 
passed  without  the  slightest  informa- 
tion being  obtained,  when  the  whole 
camp  of  the  exchange  men,  about  a 
hundred  in  number,  were  ordered  to 
report  to  General  Pemberton" 3  head- 
Quarters  for  organization  into  a  regi- 
ment, although  half  of  the  men  were 
convalescent  and  unable  to  shoulder 
a  musket.  There  were,  however,  loaf- 
ing around  headquarters  in  Jackson 
able  bodied  Lieutenant-Colonels,  Maj- 
ors, Captains  and  Lieutenaiiits,  enough 
to  officer  half  a  dozen  regiments,  all 


4. 


anxious  to  cotmmand  this  new  regiment 
We  eighteen  poor,  ignorant  Tiexas 
privaiteSi  could  not  readily  account 
for  thiis,  but  finally  concluded  that 
they  were  the  sole  survivors  of  their 
command,  which  had  all  been  kiEed 
or  captured,  but  as  this,  did  not  au- 
gur well  for  their  oar«  of  their  miea; 
or  their  bravery  on  the  battle  fiiield, 
we  concluded  to  inimediiately  inak«  a 
roar  by  presenting  oarselvpsi  &.t  head- 
Quaj-ters  and  demandiinjg  permission 
t,->  go  to  Hollow  Springs,  Mdssijijsappi 
wher*j  we  hoped  to  get  news  of  our 
regiimenit.  The  conimandiing  general, 
after  remonBtratling  with  as^  iOai  the  fol- 
ly of  going  in  search  of  a  regionent 
the  whereabouts  of  which  we  knew 
nothing  an  seeing  that  we  were  obsti- 
nate and  d'etermi,ned,  at  lasit  reluctant 
ly  grant>ed  us  the  required  permission 
and  transiportatiofi. 

Tile  next  day  found   us  in   Hollow 
Springs  and  after  two  days  in  which 
time  we  snbisifited  alon.e  on  r^d  per- 
simmons, v/p.  were  made  happy  by  the 
information    that    the    Second    T«xas 
was  in  the  viicLnity  and  a  few  days  af- 
terward had    the    pleasure    of    being 
fiuartered  under  the  old    flag    again,  j 
Our  old  Colionel,  now  General  Moore   ; 
h+'  haviing  been  promoted  for  gallan- 1 
try  on  the  battle  field  of  Shiloh,  was  j 
In  command  of  the  brigade  to  which 
the  Seco.nd  Texas  belonged.     We  had  j 
hardly    shaken    hands    wi^h    half     of  j 
our  friends  nor  had  a  chanice  to  re- 1 
ply  to  shouts  of  welcotme  aaid  words 
of   congratulatioirs   from   the   boys   in 
the   ranks   before   we   had   orders   to 
march  in  a  body  to  the  General's,  tent 
where  we  s.ocn  lined  up.     No  sooner 
had  we  halted  than   the  G«ieral  ap- 
peared,   grasped   each   of   us   by   the 
hand  and   with   tears  trickling  down 
his  cheeks  spoke  to  us  of  the  joys  he 
felt  at  see'ng  us  back  agaiin  safe  and 
sound  and  congratulated  lis  upon  our 
pciTSieverance  In  overcora'mg  so  many 
obstacles  in  our  efforts  to  array  our- 
selveis   onee  more  under   the  flag  of 
our  beloved  Second  Texas.     1  shall  re- 


member that  &oen«  as  long  as  my 
mind  endures  for  it  taugbt  m^e  to  ap- 
preciate the  fact  that  men  ar«  not 
always  what  they  seem.  Genierai 
Mooro  was  a  graduate  of  We»t  Point, 
a  strict  disciplinarian  with  rather  a 
haughty  air,  but  when  we  saw  him 
mingling  his  tears  with  those  of  the 
ragged,  foot-sore  retuxnied  prisoners 
we  knew  that  beneath  his  griim  and 
cold  exterior  there  beat  a  heart  as 
tender  as  a  little  child's.  Such  ex- 
pre.sBdoniB  of  feeling  together  with 
aympatheitic  acts  of  a  thousand  kinds 
afforded  a  bond  of  trust  between 
many  of  our  officers  and  their  men 
that  nothing  but  death  could  break. 
Soldiers  will  follow  such  leaders  in- 
to most  death-dealing  hail  of  bullets 
without  deliberations  or  fear  of  the 
cojisequen'Oes. 

Upon  retumdng  to  the  ranks  I 
found  many  a  gap  An  the  line,  missed 
many  a  familiar  face.  Some  had  di- 
ed upon  the  field  of  battle,  some  sack 
ened  and  pasised  away,  some  disappear- 
ed none  could  say  whither.  Thos,e 
yet  left  had  became  iiuiured  to  expos- 
ure and  hardship.  Whole^ouled  jolly 
fellows  every  one  with  a  heart  for 
every  fate.  I  was  thrown  with  troops 
from  almost  every  state,  both  North 
and  South,  during  my  fonr  years  in 
the  army  and  I  feed  oonfidient  that 
the  Texas  Volunteer  excelled  them  aU 
for  li.ght-heiarted  joUty  and"don't  give 
a  darn"  under  all  circumstances.  He 
accepted  whatever  the  fates  dealt  out 
to  him,  good  or  bad,  perhaps  grum- 
bled for  a  minute  if  very  bad,  then 
laughed  and  joked  the  rciSt  of  the  day 
and  half  the  night.  The  prophet 
Jeremiah  was  much  givon  to  lamenta- 
tion.s,  yet  he  said  a  merry  he.art  is 
a  continual  feast,  and  that  ia  about 
all  these  Texas  soldiers  had  to  feast 
on  for  many  consecutive  hours  on 
numerous  occasicns. 
The  jolliest  most  quizical  of  all  my 
chums  wa>s  noted  for  the  uncertainty 


of  his  temper  and  1  shall  coiiteait 
myaelf  by  calling  him  Sargcaat  Bill. 
At  the  time  of  which  1  am  writing 
Bil'  was  about  tweaty-five  years  old, 
six  feet  two  inches  in  heighth  and 
straight  as  mx  ladiian  chief,  v/i/th  long 
black  hair  and  oyeu.  of  the  saane  color 
so  piercing  that  they  seemed  to  pcn«- 
liate  oaie  even  to  the  sole  of  his  boots 
whoncver  Bill  was  deeply  ir.  oaracut. 
A  native  of  Virginia,  he  had  come  to 
Texas  in  his  early  youth  so  that  na- 
ture and  educaJon  had  combined  in 
his  make-up  a  chivalrous  ideal  of  the 
old  Virgimia  Cavalier,  together  with 
the  dare-devil  recklessness  of  the  Tex- 
I'..-  cowboy,  and  to  slightly  paraphrase 
Shakespeare  the  elements  ^o  mixed  in 
him  that  nature  might  t^tand  up  and 
say  to  all  the  world:  "Here  is  a 
soldier." 

Bill  had  been  orje  of  the  first  to  re- 
spond to  his  State's  call  to  arms  and 
expresced  his  firm  belief  that  every 
male  from  sixteen  to  one  hundred  able 
to  shoulder  a  gun,  should  be  iz\  the 
field  under  his  country's  banner.  He 
swore  that  the  only  cause  of  our  fail- 
ure to  crush  the  Undited  States  and 
end  the  war  in  a  year  was  a  mortify- 
ing fact  that  there  were  thousands 
o'  able-bodied  men  in  the  Scuth  who 
not  only  refused  to  volunteer  but 
were  skulking  in  the  brush  >to  escape 
being  conscripted.  He  cauld  not  a- 
bide  a  conscript,  his  idea  being  that 
a  man  who  had  to  be  forced  into  the 
army  would  not  fight,  and  wnr  good 
for  nothing  but  to  dig  trenches  after 
he  got  there. 

Bill  had  devoted  himcolf  to  profon- 
ity  in  all  of  its  various  branches.  For 
artistic  conception  and  brilliant  execu- 
tion his  oaths  stand  without  a  para- 
lel  in  the  annals  of  war.  I  firist  be- 
came acquainitod  with  him  during  our 
journey  from  Houston  while  we  were 
ramped  for  the  night  at  Wife's  Bluff. 
His  discerning  eye  discovered  a  ware- 
house containing  several  barrels  of 
"joy  to  the  world"  tonic.  Procuring 
an  auger  he  orawk^d  undc^r  the  build- 


ing, bored  through  the  flooi-  and  tJbe 
bottom  of  one  of  these  brxrels  and 
proceeded  to  draw  off  the  precious 
fluid.  Having  filled  all  the  vessels 
a\'ailable  he  drove  a  plug  in  the  hole, 
iXvurnjad  to  camp  and  informed  the 
beys  of  the  windfall. 

On  my  return  to  the  regiment  my 
phy^'ical  condilion  was  far  from  sat- 
isfactory the  regimental  physician  re- 
porting that  I  was  afflicted  with  phth- 
is  pulmonus  and  utofit  for  duty.  I 
was  offered  a  discharge  but  being 
atill  hopeful  and  zealous  for  our  cause 
I  refused  to  accept,  thereupon  was 
ordered  to  Quitman,  Miss.,  to  recup- 
erate. Quitman  was  a  health  resort 
before  the  civil  war.  A  hospital  for 
convalescent  Texas  soldiers  in  charge 
of  Dr.  Bryant  of  Houston  was  located 
one  mile  from  town  near  one  of  the 
finest  and  bo'dest  springs  I  have  ev- 
er seen,  the  water  of  which  is  strong- 
ly impregnated  with  red  sulphur.  I 
soon  discovered  that  the  diet  furnish- 
ed in  the  hospital  was  ai:  everywhere 
else  in  the  Confederate  Army,  cut 
rather  short  without  any  frills  or 
tucks.  In  fact  at  was  plain,  so  very 
plain  that  it  became  necessary  for 
the  inmates  to  embellish  it  somewhat 
in  order  to  make  life  worth  living. 

Rest  and  the  snlphur  water  seemed 
to  engender  in  us  a  decided  and  con  - 
tinual  hankering  for  poultry,  fresh 
pork  and  fruits.  These  our  generous 
compatriots  in  the  vicinity  furnished 
us  with  true  Southern  hospitality.  We 
juDt  made  a  requisition  for  such  eat- 
ables as  were  available  and  then  all 
that  was  necessary  to  procur  th'>m 
was  to  step  up  to  the  coop,  pen  or 
tree  and  draw  them.  We  generally 
selected  a  dark  night  to  draw  these 
delicacies,  for  fowls  are  much  easier 
handled  at  night  and  as  our  good 
neighbors  who  so  kindly  furnished  us 
were  at  that  time  soundly  S'leeping 
off  the  fatigue  of  their  daily  toils 
we  were  exceedinigly  careful  not  to 
awaken  them.  Thus,  thanks  to  the 
noble    Missiissiippians    who  raised    and 


fumiisJiieid  us  with.  sO'  many  of  the  good 
things  of  life,  we  were^  enabled,  if 
not  to  wear  purple  and  flai©  limeii,  at 
least  to  fare  eumptously  every  day. 
The  aiboive  imentioned  diet,  together 
with  the  healiaig  waters^  of  the  sul- 
phur springs.,  cured  my  honriible  disr 
ease  in  about  forty  days. 

Having  beeoi  so  Siuccessful  in  find- 
ing health  and  many  other  bleasings 
in  thdis  vicinity  I  was  fain  to  linger 
but  in  the  latter  part  of  December  Dr 
Bryant  cruelly  ordered  me  to  join  my 
command.  Befoire  the  receipt  of  this 
unwelcome  ordeir  eight  or  ten  of  us 
pre-6<mpited  a  jug  of  what  is  known 
in  thig.  section  as  "mountain  dew," 
and  after  supper  we  gathered  in  the 
dining  room  of  the  hospital  and  pro- 
ceeded to  vex  the  drowsy  ear  of  night 
with  maudlin  mirth.  After  spreading 
the  festive  board  and  mixing  a  good 
strong  decoction,  which  for  want  of 
a  better  name  I  will  call  punch,  toasts 
were  proposed.  Among  the  first  was 
"Our  Country",  responded  to  as  fol- 
lows: 

"Here's  to  our  coiintry,  may  she  ever 
be  free, 

As  the  winds  of  the   mountains   or 
the  waves  of  the  sea; 
May  the  hearts  of  her  sons  n'er  fail 
in  her  need, 

But  drive  from  her  soil  the  Yankee 
breed." 

The  second  toast  was  proposed  to 
"Our  Sweeithearts"  and  was  ret'ipond- 
f-il  to  thus: 

Onr  sweetheari*^©  dear,     to     them  we 
drink. 

Though  nameless  here,  of  them  we 
think; 
Here'?  health  to  them  and  wealth  to 

them. 
With  every  blessiing  else  to  them." 

Then   someone   proposed  a  toast  to 
"Women"     which    was    responded    to 
this  way  : 
Here's  to  our  women,  God  hlPS"  th^m 

.'\nd  death  to  the  man  who'd       op- 
press them; 
Dealt h  to   hiis  body   and    death   to  his 


soul, 

Who'd  hiairm  the  dear  creaturesi  for 
pasision  or  gold." 

About  January  1st,  1873,  I  rejoin- 
ed my  regiment  at  Camp  Timmon'S, 
seven  miles  above  Vicksburg,,  where 
it  had  gone  into  winter  quarters..  Ev- 
ery one  was  in  good  spirits  and  liv- 
ing a>a  well  as  past  experienoei  liin  *he 
service  gave  them  reason  to  expect. 
General  Boiuregard  had  been  succeed- 
ed as  division  ooimmander  by  Gener- 
al Maury,  who  was.  an  able  officer 
and  very  popular.  The  only  fault  the 
boys  found  with  hiim  was  hiis  weakness 
for  general  review,,  dress  parade  etc. 
The  vetteransi  of  the  rank  and  file  ser- 
iously objected  to  these  "circusi  par- 
ades" as  they  called  them,  because 
they  imposed  upon  tbem  a  hard  day's 
work  marching  and  counter  marching 
for  no  earthly  purpose  which  they 
could  uuderistand  except  to  give  the 
officers  an  oppoirtundty  to  show  them 
selves  off  in  aU  their  glory  to  an  ad- 
miring crowd  of  fashionables  and 
society  matrons  who  drove  out  from 
the  city  to  our  reviews.  General 
Maury  was  a  splendid  horseman  and 
of  commanding  appearance  and  no 
doubt  impreseed  many  sentimental 
female  eyes  as  a  "thing  of  beauty 
and  a  joy  forever"  as  he  dashed  up 
and  down  the  line  of  troops  on  his 
p.piriited  charger.  But  wiith  the  boys 
in  the  ranks  it  was  quite  different. 

Among  the  crowd  of  spectators  on 
the  days  of  review  were  many  silly 
girls  who  adored  an  officer's  uniform 
no  matter  how  unworthy  of  it  was 
the  man  inside.  The  attention  of  a 
member  of  the  staff  filled  these  fair 
damisels  with  delirou©  joy  while  the 
flattering  notice  of  a  handsome  gen- 
eral in  command  threw  them  into  such 
spacms  of  ecstatic  delight  that  the 
nerves  of  a  few  of  them  never  recov- 
ered from  the  shock.  To  these  thought- 
leps  creatures  what  appeared  so  grand 
to  the  ragged  foot-sore  veterans  in 
the  ranks  were  simply  a  part  of  the 
officer's   equipment,   like  their  horses 


ami  auiforms.  Being  fully  aware  of 
t.liia  we  had  decided  objections  to  a- 
beltiiig  iu  thedr  folly  and  avoided 
review  wheaiever  it  was  possible  to 
do  BO. 

Our  army,  of  course,  had  a  number 
o*"  "lady  kiUers"  among  our  officers. 
However  fliiie  clothes  do  not  make  a 
coward  any  more  tlian  they  uiake  a 
man,  and  often  the  most  fastidious 
dandies  would  fight  like  demons 
through  the  smoke  ajid  grim  of  bat- 
Ue. 

As  1  am  wribing  reminiscences  and 
not  history  I  shall  pass  over  ithe  bat- 
tles fought  during  my  absence  from 
my  regiment.  I  leai-ned  upon  my  re- 
turn that  the  mem  in  ranks  fully  ex- 
pected to  fight  a  diciisiive  battle  at 
Corinth  with  the  ajrmy  under  General 
Halleck,  which  appeared  before  our 
fortifications  at  that  place  soon  after 
the  battle  of  Shiloh.  This  army  num- 
bered ninety  thousand  but  our  men 
were  anxious  to  try  conclusions  with 
it  although  our  force  was  only  about 
half  as  mainy,  having  held  their  own 
at  Shiloh  when  the  odds  against  them 
were  as  great,  after  marching  and 
fighting  for  three  consecutive  days; 
they  believed  that  when  fresh  and  hav- 
ing the  advanitage  of  fortifications 
they  should  have  won  but  General 
Bouregard  haviaig  become  satisfied 
that  the  fighting  qualities  of  his  men 
were  all  that  could  be  desired,  appar- 
ently concluded  to  gijve  them  a  Mttle 
ti-alning  for  speed,  as  they  were  or- 
dered to  retreat  toward  Tupelo,  fif- 
t;'  miles  distant.  Tlie  boys  did  not  ap- 
prove of  this  mode  of  warfare  and 
Gene^ral  Bouregard  was  severely  cen- 
sured by  his  men  for  the  seemingly 
uncalled  for  retreat  though  some  no 
doubt  blessed  him  for  leading  them 
away  from  danger. 

Colonel  Ashbel  Smith  was  at  this 
time,  January  1863,  in  command  of 
the  Second  Texas  Regiment.  Colonel 
Smith  was  an  able  officer,  thorough- 
ly educated  and  a  diplomat  of  some 
note,  having  at  one  time  represented 


the  KepubUc  of  Texas  at  the  court  oi 
France.  He  was  quite  an  athlete  and 
his  temper  was  somewhat  inllama- 
tory  and  when  enraged  he  cut  such 
fantabiUc  capers  before  high  heaven 
as  made  the  angels  smile.  These 
bursts  of  anger  soon  passed  off  but 
while  they  lasted  the  Colonel  danced, 
awore,  jingled  his  sword  and  denoun- 
ced the  object  of  his  wrath  in.  words 
that  burned  holes  in  the  surrounding 
atmosphere.  Pasticnate  and  eccentric 
though  he  was  the  Colonel's  heart  was 
full  jeweled,  twenty-four  karats  fine 
and  devoted  to  hi*  men,  especially  the 
old  volunteers  in  the  ranks,  whom  he 
loved  like  brothers.  However  this 
did  not  prevent  us  from  laying  plans 
and  executing  schemes  to  bring  on 
his  crazy  spells  as  we  called  them, 
and  many  a  quiet  smile  or  hearty 
laugh  we  enjoyed  at  the  Colonel's  ex- 
pense. 

Early  In  1863  our  regiment  was  re- 
cruited with  conscripts,  about  one 
hundred  of  them  being  chased  out  of 
tlie  brush  and  into  our  ranks.  This 
I  think  was  a  mistake.  Conscripts 
and  volimteers  being  actuated  by  dif- 
ferent motives,  interfere  and  hinder 
each  other  lake  a  team  compvosd  of 
a  lazy  mule  and  a  spiinited  horse,  when 
combined  in  the  same  regiment.  Our 
conscripts  never  amalgamated  witli 
the  "boys"  as  the  Colonel  always 
called  the  remnant  of  the  original 
volunteers,  which  was  no  doubt  rath- 
er our  fault  than  theirs,  for  we  consid- 
ered ourselves  their  superiors,  an  op- 
inioai  even  in  which  our  officers  shar- 
ed, as  the  followinig  occurence  will  il- 
lustrate. 

Owing  to  his  eccentric  movements 
when   he   had   a  "spell"   on    we   had 
given    Colone-l    Smith  the  name  of'Tin- 
gle  Box".     Though,  of  course,  we  did 
not  use  that  pet  name  when  address- 
ing him  he  was  fully  aware  of  it,  hav- 
itig  heaiTd  us  use  It  in  a  thousa,nd  dif- 
I  ferent   indirect  ways   without     taking 
I  notice  but  one  day  as  he  rode  by  an 
unlucky  conscript  called  oiit   to  aiioth- 
8. 


er:  "Her©  ooines  Jingle  Box".  The 
Colonel  lonmedaateily  charged  liilim  and 
oxj  his  taking  to  the  brush  diamount- 
e.l  and  soom  raax  hiim  dowoii  and,  Siedz-- 
Jng  him  by  the  eai*  and  emphasiz,iin,g 
every  other  word  with  a  hearty  kick 


known  Bill's  judgemejit  to  be  sierdoufi' 
i:'  at  fault.  It  bsiimg  excaedlnigly  dark 
ar;d  beMig  very  tired  h©  aw  or©  ho 
would  advance  no  further  without 
restiiHg.  He  pix)oeeded  to  sit  down 
on    what   he   suppOGed    to   be   a   log 


h.i  swore  by  the  Olympic  gods  that  no  but  rapidly  descended  about  te,n  feet 


blank  conscriipt  should  call  him  nam- 
e:;.  The  Colonel  was  somewhat  Irdsh 
when  enraged. 
I  have  often  wond-eried  since  the  dark 
days  of  our  lintes^tine  strife  at  the 
cold-blooded  iindiffeirence  with  whiich 
Wf  at  that  timie  looked  upon,  death 
and  thie^  grave.     They  being  hourly  btr- 


to  the  bottom  of  a  muddy  branch 
Bill's  oathiS  and  tho  sihoutsi  of  laugh- 
tt:r  that  followed  this  luxi,icrous  ac- 
cident seemed  to  throw  a  shadow  of 
life  over  ihe  Siurroundinge  sufficiently 
to  enable  us  to  fish  hdm  out  of  the 
diffiioulty. 
Our    advance   guard    arriiived   about 


fore  our  eyes  in  their  various  forms  j  eight  A,  M.,  the  rear  coming  about 
they  soon  ceased  to  inspire  us  with  ;  noon.  I  think  that  some  of  our  con- 
awe  and  became  matters  to  joke  a-  :  script®  failed  to  show  -uip  at  all,  buit 
boxxt,  While  out  foraging  one  day  !  none  appeared  to  know  or  care.  Dur- 
with  Sargeant  Bill  we  discovered  a  ing  the  afternioon  we  embarked  on 
pair  of  graves.     At  the  head  of  them  j  a  itransi>ort  and  steamed  up  the  rlv- 


was  a  pine  board  upon  which  the  fol- 
lowing lines  were  written.: 
"The    Yankee      hords     and    thieving' 

bands, 
Came  South  to  rob     our  houses  and 

s.teal  our  lands; 
But   this   narrow    contracted  spot. 
Is  all  this  poor  Yankee  ever  got" 
The    other    grave  beinig. unmarked  we 
decided  that:  the  poetaster,  after  delilv- 
©ring-  himself  of     the    aboive  epitath, 
had  immediately  fallen  dead  from  ex- 
haustion,   necessarily       foUowimg    his 
monumental  effort,   and   some   kindly 
disposied    passer-by    interred    him    be- 
side  his  late   enemy.     Acting       upon 
this  conclusion   Bill    proceeded  to  set 
Up  a  board   at  the    head,    of     the  un- 
marked grave  inscribed  thus: 
"Here  lies  a  moniumental  poet, 
His  neighbor's  epitath  will  sh.ow  it. 

About  twelve  o'clock  one  cold  wet 
night  the  latter  part  of  January  1863 
WR  received  ordersi  to  cook  the  usual 
three  days  rations  preparatory  to 
marcliiing.  Two  hours  afterward 
Camp  Timmons  was  deserted  and  we 
were  tramping  through  the  darknees 
toward  Snyder's  Bluff,  seven  miles 
distant  on.  the  Yazoo  river.  This  was 
the  only  occaeion  I  remember  to  have 


er  for  Yazoo  City.  This  mode  of 
transportation  wias  very  unpopnlftr 
with  the  boysi.  They  even  preferred 
marching  to  being  packed  aboard 
like  fowls  cooped  for  market,  with  no 
opportunity  to  augment  their  scanty 
ri'tions  by  contrlbution,s.  from  the  sur- 
rdundlng  country.  Our  first  night 
afloat  passed  off  quieitly.  Some  reliev- 
ed the  monotony  by  playing  cards,  oth- 
ers by  singing  songs^  I  give  below 
one  of  these  songSi  written  by  a 
member  of  our  regiment,  whiich  has 
never   appeared    in  print: 

SHILOH. 
Draw  near  my  gallaait  comrades  and 

a  story  to  you  I'll  siing, 
.V  sad  and   moiumfu.1  song     of       war, 

tears  to  your  eyes  twi,ll  bring; 
One  April  morn  on  Shiloh's  plains  the 

risin,g  aun  dis.played, 
One  hundred  thousand  soldiers  in  bat- 
tle line  arrayed. 
Soon    drum    and    fife    proclaimed    the 

hour  that  we  must  march  away. 
Mid  canon's  roar  and  musket's  crack 
to  mingle  in  the  fray. 


9. 


with  his  sward  and  swore  that  if  tiie 


CHORUS.  I  witii  nis  swora  ana  swore  ui»l  hx  uuc 

Croriii  ShiJoh's  fieldb  the  bullets  sped,  !  dastard  who  did  this  unholy  deed  did 


(ji\  Shiioh  s  hilki  full  mauy  bled- 


uot  come  forward  to  be  liuug  iinmed- 


Uu  Shilohs  plains  lay  thousands  dead    iaieiy   he   would  throw  the   whole  re- 
w  hue  bhiloii  s     rilis    ran     red       with    giment   iu  irons  annd  jnake   the   last 
IjI^o^^  I  one  of   them  draw    for  a   black   bean 

land  shoot  the  man  who  got  it  for  an 
Time  after  time  we  chai'ged     tlie    foe  I  example. 


who  made  a  aitubboru  sftaad, 


Soon  after   this   naval  engagement, 


Vnd   ere   the     sun    had     reached   the    in   which  so  many  lives  were  threat- 
West  we  fought  them  hand  to  hand.  I  en ed   and   none   lo»t,   we  reached    Yar 
last    their    solid    ranks    we    broke  I  zoo  City,  landed  and  marched  to  the 


At 

and  scattered  them  afar, 
And  then  the  vale  of  niighit  fell  down 

and  closed  the  sceme  of  war. 
The   memory  of  that   bloody  day   the 

heart   with  anguish   fills, 
For  dead  and  dieing  everywhere   lay 

thick  on  Shiloh's  hills. 

When  mormine'&  ldgh.t  onee  more  ap- 
peared drums  beat  to  arms  again, 
Unmindful  of  the  dieing  and  heedless 

of  the  slain; 
And   soon   the  canon's   deadly   mouth 

renewed  its  angry  roar. 
Ten  thousand  fell  and  thousands  sped 

to  battle  never  more. 
Each  place  in  ranks  may  be  refilled 

but  not  in  heavy  hearts, 
That  watch  and  pray  for  their  return 
throughout  our  country's  parte. 
This  song  is  set  to  the  tune  of  Joe 
Bowers. 

Life  on  board  had  become  distress- 
ingly dull  and  1  saw  from  a  well 
known  expression  on  Bill's  counten- 
ance that  something  was  likely  to 
happen  soon  to  break  the  monotony, 
B,>  was  not  all  surprieed  when  on  the 
morning  follow inng  it  was  suddely 
shivered  into  a  thousand  fragments. 
Someone  had  during  the  night  dis- 
figured the  mane  and  tail  of  the  Col- 
onel's black  charger  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  we  were  unable  to  recog- 
nize him  .  The  resulting  "crazy 
spell"  was  one  of  the  most  excrus-- 
iating    that     we    ever     succeeded    in 


suburbs  where  we  went  into  camp. 
This  picturesque  little  city  is  sur 
rounded  by  a  beautiful  and  fertile 
country  which  had  never,  to  this  time 
been  invaded  by  the  soldiers  of  eith- 
er army,  to  chickens  were  crowing 
and  fat  hogs  gruntLng  in  every  di- 
rection. Stich  attractive  si<ghts  and 
charming  sounds  created  among  us 
a  strong  desire  to  establish  perman- 
ent headquarters  but  ift  turned  out 
to  be  another  case  of  "Twas  ever 
thus  since  childhood's  early  hotix". 
for  much  to  their  chagrin  the  regi- 
ment was  ordeired  to  re-embark  next 
day.  Together  with  one  other  man 
I  had  been  out  on  a  foraging  expedi- 
tion and  knew  nothing  of  the  depar- 
ture of  the  command  until  our  re- 
turn the  following  morning.  When  dis 
covering  that  the  camp  was  vacated 
and  not  a  soldier  to  be  found  we  held 
a  council  of  war  and  concluded  that 
the  last  scoundrel  of  them  had  de- 
serted and  decided  to  hold  the  fort 
for  funther  orders.  On  the  morning  of 
the  thir<l  day,  with  visions  of  die 
guard  house  and  a  bread  and  wat«r 
diet  before  hii>  eyes,  ray  companion 
deserted  me  and  went  in  search  of 
the  regiment.  Though  left  forloni  I 
was  not  alone  by  any  means  for  the 
citizens  of  the  city  soon  took  me  in 
hand  and  entertained  me  Like  a  .Maj- 
or-fJeneral.  But  the  faireat  day  has 
its  night  and  my  holiday  was  sud- 
denly obscured  by  the  arrival  of  Cap- 


bringing  on  the  Colonel.     He  charged  i  tain    Mcdnnds    of    my    regiment    who 
uj)  and  down  the  deck,  beat  the  floor  |  pmmptly  attached   me  to   a  squad   of 

10 


ten  men,  seat  out  under  him  to  ga/tli- 
er  a  bunch  of  aeigroes  ito  be  used  in 
building    fortifications. 

The  Captain,   who  had  come  down 
by    boat,    soon      procured     hiimiHelf   a 
good   horise,   mounted,   gave  the  com- 
mand  to   "forward,    march,"    and    my 
elysdium    was   no   more.     We    had   not 
proceeded    far    before    the      Captajin, 
casting  his  eyes  over  the  landscape, 
caduaJly    remarked:      "Boys,    this    ap- 
pears to  be  a  beautiful  and  prosper- 
ous   country.     Horses      and      saddles 
must  be  quite  plenitiful  around  here." 
This    sieemingly    unimportant    remark 
was  isufficient  to  transfer  na  from  in- 
fa.ntry  to  cavalry  service,  for  witliout 
further  orders  we  wer^e  soon.  ailJ  moun- 
ted.    I  was  among  the  fiirist  to  secure 
a  "charger"  in  the  shape  of  a  mule, 
which    I    found    hiitched    in    the  out- 
skirts of   the   City.     I   chrisitened  my 
mount  Prestigitator,  because  he  play- 
ed me  so  many  tricks,  and  my  com- 
paniions   soon  changed  my  appelation 
to   Zfljchariah    on    account  of   my    be- 
ing    oompelled     to  cliimb     a  tree  to 
Tuount    hiim   with   safety.     On   my  re- 
turn four  days   later  I   left  the  mule 
-•xaolty     where  I     had     "conscripted" 
him.  and  never  heard  from  him  again. 
His  owner,  no  doubt,  had  long  before 
be^u  (onviinced  from  his  aictions  that 
t.'ie    teacs:    was  an   emisary   of   Belze- 
bub   and   was  not  at  all  surpriised  to 
find   ■■.iin  in  the  same  spot  where  he 
had  left  hdm  after     an  unacoounitable 
abienci-    of    four    days.     We    captured 
t,he  '-equired  numbor  of  negroes,  some 
twenty   five   or    thirty    and    when    we 
returned    loaded    them      on    a    trans- 
port    >r;d    pnx-c^v'.ed    up    the   river   *o 
the   mouth  of   the   Yellow   Bushy  riv- 
er   where  the   fortifications   were     in 
course  of  constiruotion.     These  biacks 
were  used  exclusively  as  laborers.     I 
'uvei-   saw   an      p'Uied     negro  in    the 
Confederate  sreviice.     The  chief  fault 
of    on*    soldiers    was    their    contempt 
for  the  apade-     Very  few  of  thiem  had 
been  accustomed  to  hard  manual  lab- 


or and  avoided  tremch  dlggiing  as 
much  as  possible,  often  to  our  disad- 
vantagr 

Mter  delLveiriiig  our  charges  we 
joined  our  regimemt,  which  we  founid 
l(^ca*ed  at  Fori  Pemberton,  near  the 
conjunction  of  the  Tallahasse  and 
Ya'-ou  ri^er.s.  Ihij  Fort  had  been 
recently  constructed  as  a  part  of  the 
I'Ue  of  defense  of  Vicfesburg  against 
General  Grant,  that  city  bedng  the 
last  stronghold  on  the  Missiissdippi 
river  in  our  possoasion  after  the  fall 
of  New  Orleans.  This  Fort  was  not 
a  brilliant  example  of  military  engi- 
neering. A  shell  from  a  gunboat  had 
exploded  a  magazine,  killing  and  se- 
verely wounding  twelve  or  fiifteen 
men,  whdch  oocured  soon  after  our 
arrival.  W©  always  referred  to  it 
as  a  slaughter  pen.  While  we  wiere 
here  we  were  confronted  on  several 
occasions  by  a  portion  of  Grant's  ar- 
my, but  they  did  not  attack  \is.,  «md 
as  we  stood  strictly  on  the  defensive 
no  engagements  occured.  An  occas- 
ional shelling  by  a  gunboat  was  tli« 
only  fire  of  the  enemy  wie  were  ex- 
posed .to  while  in  this  vicinity,  and 
as  these  did  not  venture  near  enough 
to  do  much  damage  their  sh.elling 
merely  served  to  break  the  monotony 
of  camp  Mfe. 

The  outposts  of  the  opposing  army 
were  on  several  occasions  juat  op- 
pos.ite  each  other  on  the  river,  which 
was  at  this  place  about  seventy  five 
yards  wide.  The  pickets  on  these 
postS'  would  often  amuse  each  other 
by  tantalizing  or  joking.  Often  the 
guards  entered  inito  all  the  prelimin- 
ariies  for  exchanging  rations,  news- 
papers, etc.,,  but  no  exchange  ever 
actually  occured. 

We  had  in  our  regiment  a  young 
Irishman,  brave  as  a  lion  and  of 
powerful  physic,  who,  when  drinking 
was  dangerous  to  either  friend  or 
foe  that  crossed  him.  This  man, 
whose  name  was  Ferrin,  had  gotten 
the  idea  into  his  head  that  our  Maj- 
11. 


or  was  prejudix^d  agaiiust  Wtm,  and 
used  hia  authotrlty  lo  vent  hia  per- 
sonal Bpite  agaiiwit  h.im.  This  officer 
ordered  Ferrui  to  draw  oft  the  car- 
cas  of  a  dead  mule  from  the  proxi- 
uiity  of  the  camp.  Being  in  a  surely 
mood  the  Iriahman  told  him  to  point 
hla  nose  In  the  direction  of  hados 
and  to  "double  qudck."  This  enrag- 
ed the  Major  and  he  struck  him  a 
blow  wlith  the  flat  of  hie  sword.  Far- 
rin.  wild  with  passion,  immeddatoly 
seized  a  piece  of  rail  lydiiig  at  his 
fe^et  and  would  have  bratoed  the  Maj- 
or on  the  spot  had  he  not  turned  and 
fled.  The  Major  made  for  a  crowd 
of  men  who  saw  tlKsmi  coming  ait  full 
speed  and  began  to  laugh  and  yeU, 
chccriing  first  one  and  then  the  other 
until  (the  whole  camp  was  in  an  up- 
roar. The  officer  ran  into  the  crowd 
and  someone  tripped  up  his  pureurcr 
and  he  was  aeoured.  The  laughing 
of  the  crowd  brought  Ferrin  to  his 
senses  and  he  did  not  try  to  caich 
the  Major. 

Grant's  movements  imdicating  that 
he  had  no  intentlmis  of  approaching 
Vicksburg  from  the  diirection  im  which 
we  lay  we  were  ordered  to  evacuate 
l-ort  Pemb-erton  and  return  to  Camp 
Timmons  seven  miles  above  Vicks- 
burg. This  was  welcome  news  to  all 
the  boys  as  there  was  not  a  single 
chicken  left  to  annoimce  the  coming 
of  morn  and  the  voice  of  the  porker 
was  no  more  heard, 
tnons  the  enemy  made  a  feeble  at- 
Soon  after  our  arrival  at  Camp  Tim- 
tempt  to  land  troopa  ajt  Chickamau- 
ga  Bayou,  nearby,  but  as  they  with- 
drew after  a  slight  skirmish  our  of- 
ficers concluded  that  this  was  a  ruse 
to  cover  General  Grant's  real  Inten- 
tions and  we  we-re  ordered  to  War- 
rington, on  the  Mlssisisippi,.  twenty 
miles  below  Vicksburg. 

Here  was  located  a  Fort  with  a  few 
heavy  guns  commanding  the  river 
which  up  to  the  time  had  succeeded 
in  preventimg  the  passage  of  the  ene- 
my's gunboats.  Provisions  became  ex- 


ceedingly scarce  while  we  were  stat- 
ioned at  WarringtOin  and  continued 
so  unttl  a  piece  of  bacon  was  loolied 
upon  a.A  a  treasure  to  be  jealously 
guarded.  Col.  Smith  had  begged, 
j  bought  or  stolen  a  piece  of  a  hog 
which  he  had  concealed  under  his 
cot.  During  a  night  his  dreams  were 
disturbed  by  something  apparently 
crawling  under  hla  cot.  Seizing  his 
sword  in  one  hand  while  he  made  a 
quick  grab  with  the  other  he  grasped 
the  hand  of  a  conscript.  Leading  his 
prisoaier  out  into  the  Mght  of  the 
campfire  the  Colonel  minutely  exam- 
ined his  crest-fallen  countenance  and 
exclaimed:  "I  knew  that  it  was  a 
blamed  conscript.  If  it  had  been  one 
of  .the  old  boys  I  never  would  have 
gotten  my  hands  on  him".  Then  giv- 
ing him  a  kick  he  reurned  to  his 
slumbers. 

Hunger  hath  no  ears,  neither  hath 
it  a  conscience.  Pushed  on  by  hope 
or  fear  of  scorn  men  will  brave  the 
terrors  of  the  battle  field  with  the 
moat  reckless  abandon  but  few  in- 
deed are  those  who  haveithe  moral  for- 
titude to  leave  the  pangs  of  hunger 
In  their  own  stomachs  half  appeased 
In  order  to  relieve  a  starving  com- 
rade to  a  similiair  extent.  The  qual- 
ity and  quantity  of  our  rations  con- 
tinued to  get  no  better  while  at  War- 
rington, so  much  so  it  required  tbe 
utmost  inguinlty  on  the  part  of  each 
of  us  to  keep  the  lamp  of  life  alight 
Some  one  discovered  that  the  twamp 
around  oiu*  camps  were  full  of  wild 
bees  and  a  hunt  for  -the  trees  con- 
taining their  stores  of  honey  was  or- 
ganized. By  working  all  day  in  the 
mud  and  water  up  to  our  waists,  for 
we  were  comp^elled  to  wade  bayous 
which  here  run  into  the  Mississippi. 
we  succeeded  in  gathering  a  suffici- 
ent quantity  to  supply  the  whole  re- 
giment with  at  least  one  full  meal  of 
this  d(>li clous  sweet. 

The  lord  tempereth  the  wind  to  the 
shorn  lamb  sometimes  and  We  rpade 
aiiothfr  discovery  of  nature's  bounty 


12. 


on  thle  expeditioai.  We  found  tbe  a- 
bove  meiitiomed  bayoua  cantainjed  In- 
uuinerable  cmw-tiis.h, which  wi©  capdiur- 
ed  in  great  profuaioaa.  Then  after 
these  were  cooked  thiey  added  much 
lo  the  reliish  of  our  coa'n  dodgea\ 

On  May  the  fifteemtli,  1863  we  hur- 
riedly marched  into  Vicksburg,  tak- 
ing our  position  in  the  treinches  in 
the  roar  of  the  city.  We  soon  found 
that  General  Grant  with  a  force  said 
to  be  one  hundred  thousand  Btrong 
had  just  attacked  General  Perabeir- 
ton  on  the  Big  Black  river,  defeated 
him  and  drove  his  imferior  force  be- 
hind the  fortifications  at  Vicksburg 
and  was  rapidly  advancing  with  an 
overwhelmMig    army. 

On  the  morninig  of  the  sixteenth  of 
May  we  found  our  whole  systeim  of 
breastworks  extemdioig  in  a  semi-cir- 
cle around  the  oity  to  a  junction  with 
the  river  above  and  below,  seven  mdl- 
ej  in  length  comfroai'ted  by  a  heavy 
line.  Preparatione^  were  made  ito  meet 
the  charge  which  was  momentarily 
expected.  Aimundtion  was  issued  more 
freely  than  rations.  Company  offir- 
cers  laid  aside  their  swords  and  took 


va&tatiing  chariges  the  boys  in  blue 
concluded  they  had  eniough  for  the 
once  and  withdrew  in  disorder.  It 
was  duriiaiig  oiiie  of  theis©  bloody  as- 
^ilaultfi.  that  a  sitandard-beaa-er  of  the 
enemy  reached  our  breastworks  and 
planted  his  flag  on  top  and  jumped 
down  among  our  boys  unhumt.  Many 
of  the  boys  who  saw  this  said," This 
Yankee  was  loaded  with  gun  powder 
and  whiiskey  on  the  inside."  But 
Sar^eant  Bill  Siwore  by  the  eternal 
that  while  it  wasi  an  insult  it  was.  true 
bravery  and  we  should  do  him  the 
justice  to  acknowledge  iit. 
The  battle  raged  for  aboujt  five'  hours 
during  which  time  the  enemy,  so  it 
was  stated  at  the  time,  losit  twenty 
thouaand  men.  Nearly  all  our  con- 
scripts and  raw  volunteers  fired 
their  first  volley  up  into  the  air.  But 
having  their  attention  brought  to  the 
fact  that  the  enemy  were  in  front  and 
not  flying  over-head  they  did  fair 
execution. 

Two  days  after  the  assault  on  our 
breastworks  there  was  a  truce  declar- 
Hl,  lasting  three  hours  to  enable  the 
enemy  to  bury  their  dead,  which  lay 


up  muskets.'    Parsons  withdrew  under  thicJi   upon   the   field,    soime    of   them 


the  bluffs  of  the  river,  I  suppose  that 
their  prayers  for  our  success  might 
ascend  to  the  ithrone  of  grace  unmix- 
ed with  the  unholy  sound  of  war. 
Many  of  our  third  Liieutenants  discov- 
ered sudden  demandSi  for  their  servic- 
es as  cooks  at  headquarters  or  othier 
detached  duties  far  from  the  madden- 
ing crowd  in  blue.  We  conferred 
the  title  of  "dog  robbers"  on  these 
cooks. 


just  outside  our  trenches. 

There  were  many  heroic  acts  per- 
formed during  this  battle.  One  of 
the  boys  picked  up  one  of  the  enemy's 
shells  with  a  burni,ng  fuse  that  had 
dropped  among  his  companioinHi,  ran 
to  a  pool  of  water  and  threw  it  in, 
thus  extingiuishlng  the  fuse  and  mak- 
ing the  shell  harmless. 

During  this  truce,  although  it  was 
contrary  to  orders,  a  few  of  us  evad- 


On   the  morning     of  the     22nd    of  '  ed  the  guards  and  repaired  to  a  plum 


May  Grant  began  a  series  of  desper- 
ate chargesi  all  along  our  fronit,  throw 
ing  fifty  thousand  men  against  our 
lines,  composed  of  twenty  thousand 
men.  The  shocks  were  terrible  and 
for  a  while  it  looked  asi  t,hough  we 
would  be  overwhelmed  and  trampled 
under  foot  by  mere  force  of  numbers. 


orchard,  some  distance  insdde  the 
enemy's  lines,  where,  while  filling 
ourselves  with  fruit,  we  ran  across 
several  United  States  Soldiers  on  a 
similiar  errand.  We  eng.'vged  in  frie^md- 
ly  conversation,  taking  pains  however 
to  get  separated  before  the  truce  ex- 
pired. 
The  siege  went  on     and     the  solid 


However  after  several  bloody  and  de-   shots   broke   down   our   embankments 

13. 


lucMre  and  more  every  day.  Many  of 
uux  guns  were  di««nauUed,  xni&n  were 
drop  pill  g  every  wiiere  alO(ng  tiie  lioie 
und  railous  grew  lesii  at  every  Isaue 
uuiil  they  were  tiiially  reduced  to 
oue-fourth  the  prescribed 
ThlB  would  have  anly  beeoi  aa  iiK>eu 
tive  to  fight  iu   the  opeai  field  where 


thufi  with  empty  Bitomache  and  our 
skin  from  head  to  lieela  pricked  by 
the  savage  body  Lice,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  July  third  a  lone  horseman 
approached  the  trenches  from  the 
amount.  ,  direction  of  headquarters,  leaped  his 
horse  over   the  embankment  and   un- 


furled  a  white     flag.     This     man   as 
victory   would    bniaig    us   the   enemy 'h  \  brave  as  Napoleon's  guard  wept  tears 


camp  and   stares   but     under  the  cir- 
cumstances it  only  discouraged  us.     I 


j  of  grim  despair.     With  shot  and  &heJJ 
sweeping  the  ground    all   about   him, 


thank  the  history  of  the  war  will  show ,  the   horseman   aped   on    with   face  as 


that  the  Northern   troops  excelled  in 
building    and    defending    fortifications 
while  we     were     supeiior     to  them  In 
charges  and  endurance. 
G<ranf»  "sappers"  gradually  extend 


white  as  the  flag  he  bore,  (for  iit  was 
not  for  victory  that  his  life  was  im- 
periled,) and  soon  dlsa.pp€ared  In 
the  enemy's  line.  The  end  had  coone. 
Thousands  of  failures  had  been   wriit- 


ed  their  uenches  aearer  and  nearer  to  ten  by  general's,  newspaper  corresr 
our  lines.  HU  artillery  bombarded 
us  and  every  resource  known  to 
modem  warfare  was  brought  against 
us  until  many  became  discouraged  but 
with  some,  the  more  desperate  our 
conditions  grew  the  more  desperate 
they  became.  I  remember  a  staff  of- 
ficer. Major  Hal  Runnels  of  Houston, 
who  seemed  to  court  death  daily. 
There  was  a  piece  of  rising  ground 
that  was  swept  continually  by  shot 
and  shell  to  such  an  extent  that  ev- 
ery one  avoided  It.  But  this  officer, 
In  passing  from  headquarters  to  the 
trenches,  walked  on  this  death  trap 
as  calmly  as  tf  he  were  taking  a 
walk  In  a  quiet  garden  far  from  the 
scenes  of  war.  When  he  reached  the 
trenches  1  often  saw  him  mount  the 
fortifications  to  examine  the  position 
of  the  enemy  through  a  field  glass 
while  the  air  was  full  of  shells  all 
around  him.  I  do  not  know  whether 
he  was  killed  or  not  but  if  he  escaip- 
ed  ho  must  have  been  under  special 
protection  of  tlie  god  of  war. 

Day  after  day  it  was  reported  that ,  fp^   at   the   expense  of     the 
(General  Joeeph  E.  Johnson  was  com- 
ing to  our   reMef   and    would   fall  on 
Cirant  tomorrow  but  if  tomorrow  ev- 
e.'  came  Johnson  did  not. 

After  forty-eight  days  of  constantly  ,  casion  at  Shiloh.     Many  of  the  boys 
watching  and   fighting  on  quarter  ra- 
tions  oiu'  oommisEory  entirely  failed. 


pendents,  aides  and  "dog  robbers"  on 
the  siege  of  Vlcksburg,  explaining  in 
a  hundred  different  ways  why  we 
were  not  re-lnforeed  or  relieved.  The 
only  one  that  I  have  to  offer  is  that 
the  political  aspirations  and  bicker- 
ings between  our  commander  and 
the  Richmond  authorities  were  the 
sole  cause  of  the  fall  of  the  last 
stronghold  in  the   Mississippi 

On  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of 
July  we  stacked  our  arms  and  march- 
ed about  a  mile  to  the  rear,  In  the 
direction  of  the  river.  In  charge  of 
United  States  guards.  Many  were 
the  surmises  as  to  what  our  fate 
would  be.  Visions  ol  close  confln- 
ment  in  Northern  prisonis  floated  be- 
fore our  eyes  while  the  conscripts 
shook  with  fear  of  immediate  exf>cu- 
tion,  for  Sargeant  Bill  had  told  them 
that   Grant   had    all   conscripts   shot 

Ijate  in  the  afternoon  General 
Grant  Isstied  the  first  full  ratiions  we 
had  had  in  many  a  day.  thus  for  the 
second  time  our  whole  regiment  was 

United 
States  government,  but  under  how 
different  and  much  raoiv  humiliating 
circumstances  than  on  the  former  oc- 


thought  that  this  kindness  shown   us 
was  to  make  the  surrender  more  com- 


14. 


plete  aad  tiiat  It  would  be.  oouiiiter 
balanced  by  added  orueilty  in  tlie  fu- 
ture but  I  had  been  iu  GTiaat's  hands 
before  and  knew  him  ito  be  hi\xmsm.e, 
makinig  war  only  on  those  with  anas 
in  their  hands  so  was  not  afraid. 

We  soon  learned  that  we  were  (to 
bt!  paroled,  and  after  paying  our  in- 
debtednesis  to  the  inner  man  with  com- 
pound interest  at  u&urous  rates  our 
cheerfulnesiB  gradually  begaai  to  re- 
turn. 

The  few  blibies  which  had  been  in 
evidence  disappeared.  Cards  were  re- 
sumed and  dreams  of  home  entered 
the  brains  of  many  of  us.  Home 
meant  quiet  nighits  and  peaceful  days, 
no  weary  hours  on  guard,,  no  shriek- 
ing shot  or  shell.  It  seemed  Idtoe  the 
baseless  fabric  of  a  dream. 

On  the  eleventh  day,  haviiaig  neceiv- 
ed  our  parole  from  the  United  States 
authorizing  us  to  go  where  we  .pleas- 
ed and  oommaflid  ourselves  according 
to  our  own  free  will,  with  the  excep- 
tion that  we  were  not  to  take  up  arms 
against  the  Uniited  States  until  we 
were  exchanged,  we  marched  outside 
the  fortifications  and  diispersed. 

The  rank  and  file  of  our  regiment 
being  exceediinglyianxious  for  a  glimp- 
se of  the  prairies  of  Texas  once  more 
concluded  to  take  advantage  of  their 
eoforeed  furlough  and  visit  their  old 
homes  in  spite  of  the  earnest  expec- 
tations of  CoJianel  Smith  that  we 
would  follow  him  to  Raymond,  Mis- 
sissippi where  a  camp  of  paroled  men 
had  been  established.  We  soon  set 
out  on  our  pedestrain  jaunt  of  three 
hundred  miles  which  we  considered 
no  more  than  a  pleasure  excursion 
after  what  we  had  undergone. 

With    light    hearts    and    light    bag- 


home. 

After  crossing  the  ri.ver  all  of  Com- 
pany K.  except  four.,  including  myself 
coneluded  to  take  the  lower  and  shor- 
ter route  by  way  Oif  Alexandjia,  La., 
while  we  chose  the  better  but  longer 
way  by  Natchiitoches  on  Red  River. 
For  subeiiistenice  we,  of  course,  had  to 
depend  upon  what  w©  could  beg,  bor- 
row or  steal.  However  we  seit  out 
gaily  fiiinging  "Homeward  Bound  We 
Sweetly  GUde,"  trusting  in  the  bib- 
lical aaauranice  that  "sufficient  unto 
the  day  is  the  evil  thereof." 

We  found  the  people  along  our  route, 
though  iUy  provided  themselves,  will- 
ing to  divide  the  last  morsel  wiith  us 
and  we  had  free  aooess  to  the  fruit 
whieh  was  ripe  on  the  trees^  at  majny 
places  overhanging  our  road.  I  re- 
member one  feast  that  came  to  us 
in  rather  an  unexpected  way.  We 
had  sitopped  for  the  night  In  the  sub- 
urbs of  a  small  village  one  afternoon 
before  sunset.  Having  managed  In 
some  way  to  get  hold  of  a  canjteen 
of  rum  we  were  soon  quote  jolly,.  One 
of  my  comrads  had  stretched  out  for 
a  quiet  snooze  when  I  placed  a  revol- 
ver, which  we  had  smuggled  out  of 
Vicksburg,  on  his  head  for  a  rest 
and  fired.  He  arose  in  a  storm  of 
wrath.  The  other  boys  began  to  laugh 
and  yell  at  us,  which  attracted  the 
attention  of  an  old  gentleman  sitting 
on  hiis  porch,  who  ran  out  and  en- 
tered into  conversation  with  us  and 
invited  us  to  spend  the  night  with 
him.  We  were  well  provided  for  con- 
sidering the  times. 

The  next  morndnjg  we  took  our  depar- 
ture. After  twenty  days  afoot  through 
Louisiana  we  reachied  Beaumont,  Tex- 
as,   where    we    were    furnished   rail- 


gage  we  trudged  along  like  school ,  road  transportation  to  Houston.  Up- 
boys  on  a  holiday,  our  only  draw-  on  our  arrival  there  we  were  taken 
back  being  blistered  feet,  for  on  in  hand  by  appreciative  citizens,  well 
account  of  our  long  confinment  in.  the  i  entertained  and  our  tattered  gar- 
trenches  at  Vicksburg  many  of  the  j  ments  replaced  with  new  ones, 
boys'  feet  had  grown  tender  and  dls-  From  Houston  we  reached  our  des- 
comoded  them   in  their   haete  to   get  |  tination  at  Texanina  in  a  few  hours  by 

15. 


raij  and  stage  and  1   was  once  more  ,  tion  we  were  conveyed  by  rail  to  San- 
weicoaned    Iwiiieatti   the   parental   vine  '  dy  Point  and  froan  Uiere  marched  to 


and  fig  uve. 

About  tlie  fij-st  of  October  1863,  we 
received  notice  that  the  Second  Tex- 
as had  been  exchanged  and  was  to 
be  reorganized  at  Houfitoai.  Though 
there  was  some  doubt  as  to  our  be- 
ing regularly  exchanged,  all  the  old 
members  fit  for  duty  reported  as 
soon  as  this  order  reached  them. 
Our  ColoneJj  soon  convinced  us  that 
our  exchange  was  all  right  and  that 
we  were  not  going  to  fight  with  a 
rope  around  each  of  our  necks,  for 
hanging  is  the  puniehment  meted  out 
to  captured  soldiers  wlio  have  brok- 
en their  parole. 

We  organized  at  the  same  camp 
about  two  mites  from  Houston  where 
two  years  before  we  had  originally 
entered  into  the  service  of  the  Con- 
federate States  as  a  regiment.  We 
were  at  that  time  volunteers,  nearly 
everyone  young  and  thoughtless,  fill- 
ed with  exhuberant  hopes  and  stronig 
in  the  belief  that  our  regiment  could 
wipe  the  best  brigade  of  Yankees 
that  ever  en.terd  the  field  off  the  face 
of  the  earth  any  morning  before  break- 
fast. 

But  now  what  a  chajnge  had  come 
over  the  spirit  of  our  dreams.  We 
had  fought,  starved  and  laid  in  pri®- 
on  for  two  years  until  otir  ranks  were 
r'^duced  to  two  hundred  and  ftfty  of 
the  volunteers,  who  though  resolved 
to  stand  by  our  country  as  long  as 
life  atood  by  us,  were  withoirt  enthus- 
iasm and  almost  without  hope.  We 
had  learnied  many  things  about  war 
that  tended  to  lessen  our  zeal  for 
glory  thereby,  and  though  we  &till 
answered   the     bugle     call    promptly. 


Columbia  on  the  Brazos  river.  Arriv- 
ing at  Columbia  we  boarded  a  trans- 
port and  wenit  down  the  Brazos  to 
Velasco,  for  what  purpose  we  never 
found  ouit  as  there  was  no  enemy  in 
miles  of  this  place.  Some  of  the  boys 
said  that  we  had  probably  come  down 
for  sea-bathing.  It  being  the  middle 
of  wi niter  and  our  camp  being  located 
on  a  bare  beach  where  we  had  no 
protection  from  the  bdtter  Nonth  wind 
that  prevailed,  we  came  near  freez- 
ing on  several  occasions.  Finally  we 
had  orders  to  move  West  of  the  Braz- 
os river  about  four  mllie©  where  the 
country  was  heavily  timbered  and 
wo  were  protected  from  the  wind. 

In  January  1864  we  were  removed 
to  Cedar  Lake,  six  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  Caney  river  where  a  Fort 
of  the  same  name  was  located.  This 
We  were  to  guard.  Several  gunboats 
of  the  blocading  fleet  were  at  that 
time  occupying  the  coast  of  Texas 
and  had  appeared  in  sight  of  Fort 
Caney  and  it  was  supposed  that  the 
eujemy  was  making  preparations  to 
land  troops  nearby  in  Order  to  cap- 
ture the  garrison.  We  wei'e  accord- 
ingly there  to  support  it.  Not  long 
after  our  arrival  two  of  the  Federal 
Gunboats  drewjmear  and  began  to  eiielil 
the  Fort.  Our  company  was  ordered 
inside  but  on  our  remonstrating  -we 
were  allowed  to  deploy  up  and  down 
the  beach  behind  sand  hills.  The 
1  gun  in  the  Fort  was  soon  saienced. 

An  unexpected  treat  fell  to  our  lot 
soon  after  the  firing  ceased.  The 
Federal  gunboat  ran  a  Spanish  sail- 
ing vessel  in  near  the  Fort  where  she 
grounded.     The  crew,  all  Cubans,  be- 


there  was  no  spontaneous  hopes  of  |  ing  much  frighten.ed.  abandoned  her 
each  sounding  of  its  note<s  that  we  i  and  took  to  the  woods.  Our  officers 
were  to  march  mio  battle  immediate- 1  took  possession  of  the  boat  and   car- 

,  go,  consisting  of  coffee,  Irish  potatoes 

ly.     Orders  that  met  our  approval  we  ^  ^  '  "*  *,     ,.  u 

'  salt  fisih,  calico  washbowls  and  pitch- 
obeyed  but  others   we  evaded   as   all  ,  ^^^    ^^   .^^    ^^   ^^^^^    ^^^^   ^^^^^^^ 

old  soldif^rs  know  well  how  to  do.  |  besides  numbers  of  ca^^i'S  of   various 

Having    coniploted    our    reorganiza-    tonics,   which   we  called   soothing   sy- 

16. 


rup,    consigned   to   R.    &   G.    Mills  of 
Galveston. 

We  were  ordered  by  companies  to 
unload  the  vessel  which  had  now  be- 
come a  wreck  and] we  were  promised 
the  usual  salvage,  one-^third  of  the  car- 
go. Attachiing  a  cable  and  the  whole 
regiment  leaidiiing  a  hand  we  soon 
had  a  suitable  position  for  unload- 
ing and  in  a  few  hours  had  takea 
everything    out   except  ithe    bar    iron. 

Meanwhiile  the  boyB  had  tested  the 
various  brands  of  aootbimg  syrup 
which  they  found  to  be  greatly  ex- 
hiliarating  in  itts  effeotia<  However, 
after  conbiaiual  sampM.ng  they  discov- 
ered it  to  be  overpoweringly  imitoxlca- 
tlng.  In  fact  by  twelve  o'clock  at 
night  the  whole  command  was  stret- 
ched on  the  sajnds  of  the  beach  help- 
lessly druink,  except  Major  FJy,  Sar- 
geanit  Bill  and  my®elf. 

On  sipeafeinig  of  the  matter  after- 
ward I  placed  ooir  Chaplain  in  the  list 
of  the  sober  but  BlU  swore  that  he 
was  as  drunk  as  the  rest.  However, 
Bill  was  prejudiced  against  this  "par- 
son", called  him  a  "one-eyed  John 
who  could  only  see  a  sdingle  aide  to 
a  question  and  that  to  his  personal 
advantage".  Bill  swore  that  any  man 
who  was  too  good  do  associate  with 
the  rank  and  file  on  ear<th  would  de- 
sert them  on  the  road  to  heaven.  On 
the  strength  of  these  convictions  he 
refused  to  hear  him  preach.  Drunk 
or  sober  the  Chaplain  was^  able  to  de- 
part the  next  mornlinig  in  a  cart  which  1 
hp  had  loaded  down  with  goods  from 
the  wreck. 

The  Fnn  arose  at  the  usual  hour  af- 
ter the  night  of  debauch  but  the  regi- 
ment failed  to  greet  his  returning 
rays.  Many  of  them  were  alJ  3ay  get- 
ting on  their  feet.  There  was  visible 
of  the  cargo  next  day  afiter  unload- 
ing, six  or  »even  barrels  of  tonic, 
one-fourth  of  the  coffee  and  crock-^ry 
ware,  the  remainder  having  been  hur- 
ried in  the  sand  by  the  boys  who 
were  so  drunk  at  the  time  that  very 


little  of  it  was  ever  recovered,  they 
not  beiia^  ftble  to  remember  the  hid- 
ing pUuces  after  they  became  sober. 

General  Bee  s«<nt  wagons'  down  and 
hauled  off  the  remainjoig  barrelsi  and 
coffee,  kindly  leaving  us  the  bowls, 
pitchers,  the  proper  use  of  which 
would  no  doubt  have  improved  our 
appearances  but  as  he  failed  to  fur- 
nisik  clean  towels  and  soap  to  igo 
with  them  we  failed  to  appreciate 
their  value. 

A.bout  this  time  two  of  our  con- 
scriipta,  no  doubt  recognizing  their 
ignorance  of  dynaties  and  with  praise- 
worthy zeal  to  rise  in  a  chosen  (by 
others)  profession  concluded  to  begin 
an  Indivlduai  invesdgation  of  these 
forces,  each  for  himself.  Procuring 
two  charged  shells  from  the  For>t 
they  proceeded  to  experdmient.  Oni© 
of  the  shells  waS'  placedi  at  the  roots 
of  a  large  itiree,  and  reaching  around 
from  behind  one  of  the  "students" 
touched  the  fuse  with  a  lighted  torch. 
The  shell  went  off  and  so  did  two  of 
the  investigators  fSngers  The  other 
daring  seeker  after  knowledge  of 
things  imiilitary,  placed  his  shell  un- 
der a  rude  board  and  stood  upon  It 
while  he  applied  the  torch.  The-  re- 
sult was  a  rapid  ascienjsion  skyward  In 
which  I  fear  the  victim  came  nearer 
reaching  heaven  than  he  ever  wHl  a- 
gain.  Strange  to  say  this  fellow  re- 
turned to  earth  intaiot  and  unhurt  ex- 
cept for  slight  bruises.  The  explosion 
made  a  terrific  noise  and  caused 
quite  a  commotion.  This  was  the 
first  conscript  we  had  ever  seen  ele^ 
vated  from  the  ranks.  I  always 
thought  that  this  fellow  was  what 
Josh  Billinigs  would  call  a  "dam  phuL 

We  remained  two  or  three  months 
in  -his  section  when  we  marched  to 
Houston  where  we  took  railroad  for 
Galveston  which  place  we  reached  a- 
bout  the  middle  of  April  18«4. 


-.7. 


we  were  as.signie<i  lo  post  duty  u^p- j  only  military  execution  I  wiitneBsed 
on  our  ai-nvai  at  UaLvetnon  aad  re-  during  the  war.  A  private  of  German 
uiuijitd  Uiere  mmi  Uie  cioc^e  "oi  "tiiiij  paren-tage  belongding  to  an  artillery 
war.     ueaif  rad    Alcv^ruder,    comniandef  j  company  of  Col.  Cook's  regiment  was 

shot  for  desertion.  He  had  made  two 
former  attemipis  to  desert  and  it  was 
at  last  decided  to  make  an  examiple  of 


of  the  lojv^es  on  ualvoston  IsJand, 
liad  hifi  headquarLers  in  the  city  and 
our  duties  consisted  in  guarding  thes« 
together   with   the  quartenmaster  and  [  him.     Our   regiment   was  assigned  to 


couunilssary  restores.  In  the  intervails 
of  guard  duty  we  occupied  our  time 
trying  to  drill  eomething  like  soildier- 
ly  bearang  into  ouir  raw  conscripts  in 
order  to  make  them  fit  for  the  next 
war.  Most  of  us  had  then  lost  all 
hope  of  the  present  one,  for  seeing 
that  the  complete  s'ubjugation  of 
the  Confederacy  was  only  a  matter 
of  a  few  months,  we  soon  gave  up 
trying  to  make  any  improvements  in 
the  awkward  squads  of  conscripts 
when  aasig/ned  to  drill  them. 

We  were  nevei-  molested  by  the 
enemy  whiile  on  Galveston  Island.  Our 
nearest  aporoach  to  battle  was  with 
our  own  men  when  we  were  called  out 
one  night  to  protect  Col.  Hawes  quar- 
ters from  the  assault  of  a  mob,  com- 
posed of  resident  soldiers  and  their 
families.  These  soldiers  dem^anded 
that  the  government  issue  rations  to 
their  starving  wives  and  children, 
which  being  refused  on  account  of 
the    depleted    condition    of   our    corn- 


guard  the  prisoner  at  the  execution, 
out  three  miles  from  town.  On  reach- 
ing the  appointed  place  three  regi- 
ments were  drawn  up  forming  three 
sides  of  a  parlelctgram  all  facing  in- 
ward. The  defierter  was  marched  a- 
long  in  front  of  the  emtire  line  and 
when  the  open  end  was  reached,  halt- 
ed and  the  firing  squad  marched  for- 
ward and  fired. 

Thie  squad  consisted  of  tweWe  men, 
the  half  of  whose  guns  were  loaded 
with  powder  and  ball^  the  remaining 
six  guns  being  charged  with  blank 
cartridges.  None  of  the  squad  knew 
whether  he  fired  a  blank  or  a  ball. 

After  the  executioji  we  were  mar- 
ched by  where  the  body  lay  dead  up- 
on the  ground  in  order  to  impress  up- 
on our  minds  the  penalty  for  deser- 
tion. 

This  man  was  the  ibst  whom  I  saw 
killed  during  tlie  war.  But  we  were 
attacked  dur.ing  the  summer  of  1864 
by   a   sileait   and    insidious  enemy   a- 


missaries,  had  come  in  a  riotous  mob    gainst  which  our  heaviest  guns  avail- 


to  secure  provisions  by  force  if  per- 
suasion did  not  avail. 

No  one  who  has  not  seen  a  mob  of 
this  kind  clamoring  for  bread  can 
have  amy  conception  of  the  crazed 
and  uncontrollable  rage  of  the  panti- 
ci pants  or  aippreciate  the  difficulty 
of  quieting  them  without  the  shedding 
of  blood.  However  by  promising  to 
see  that  the  women  and  children 
would  be  fed  and  ordering  a  company 
to  fire  over  the  heads  of  the  mob  our 
officers  finally  quelled  the  riot  with 
only  one  man  injured  who  was  acci- 
dentally killed  by  some  one's  awk- 
wardness in  firing. 

Here  I   took   part   in   the   first  and 


ed  nothing.  The  yellow  fever  invad- 
ed our  camp  and  soon  became  epi- 
demic, carrying  off  numbers  who  had 
courted  death  on  numerous  battl/e— 
fields  and  endured  the  hardthipps  of 
many  campaigns,  only  to  succorab 
at  last  to  this  dreaded  scourge.  This 
was.  a  time  that  tried  men's  souls  be- 
yond the  test  of  battle  shouts.  No 
surging  crowds  of  men  to  urge  one 
on  to  victory  or  death  yet  now  what 
heroic  bravery  it  required  to  sjt  a- 
lone  through  the  sad  siilent  watches 
of  the  night  beside  a  plague-stricken- 
comrad's  bed  and  minister  to -the 
dieiiiig  wants  of  one  who's  very  breath 
exhaled  death  into  the  suirroundi.ng  at- 


18. 


nxosphere.  But  men  Wiem  found  In 
camp  and  women  too  In  thie|ciity|  whose 
thoughts  of  ©elf  w^ere  d/rowned  in,  oth- 
er's cup  of  tremblimg  so  that  not  one 
was  left  ito  suffer  and  die  alone. 

Aind  here  durdng  this  epiidemdic  was 
disp&ayed  equally  as  much  heroism 
if  not  more  than  is  required  to  go  in- 
to battli3  both  by  isolidiers  and  also  (the 
good  women  of  the  oi.ty,  true  hero- 
ines iiUdeed  who  so  kindly  cared  for 
and  miniistered  to  the  s'ck  and  dieing 
soldiers.  I  am  Bometimes  inclined 
to  agTiee  with  that  fellow  over  the 
river  who  ©aid:  "Woman  is  the  fin- 
ishing grace  of  creation,  the  com- 
pleteness of  man's  bliss  and  paraddse 
his  companion,  councilor  and  ooimfor- 
ter  in  his  pilgrLmage  through  life. 
Our  sweetest  cup  of  earthly  happin- 
ess is  mixed  and  ministered  by  her 
hands  and  in  heaven  we  wiJl  bliess 
our   creator   for   her   aid    in   reaching 


that    bllasful  etate."    Pl«a»e    excufi<0 
thi'S  digression- 

Nothiing  of  an  eventful  nature  oc- 
cured  to  us  during  1864.  The  opening 
of  the  spiring  of  1865  brought  with  it 
the  do-wuifall  of  the  Confederacy 
and  the  few  of  us  left  returned  to  oou* 
homes  emancipated  after  four  years 
from  the  restraints  of  military  life, 
which  we  enjoyed  very  much. 
The  war  |  has  been  over  forty-sixlyeara 
and  it  Is  only  the  volunteer  soldier 
who  fully  realizes  the  changed  con- 
ditions. They  are  heavenly  indeed 
now  in  comparison.  General  Sher- 
man properly  defined  war  when  he 
said  that  it  wast  the  opposite  of  heav- 
en.    This  iis  the  opinion  of 

RALPH  J.  SMITH. 
Company  K,  Second  Texas  Infan- 
try, born  at  Centerville,  St.  Mary's 
parrish.  La.,  JuiHy  19th,  1840.  Now  re- 
sident of  San  Marcos.  Hays  Coumty 
Texas. 


19. 


TO  THE  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  CON 
FEDERACY. 


An    Insight    Into    the    Character    of 
Volunteer  Soldier. 


I  was  a  Voluniteer  soldier.  1  have 
ever  loved  the  word  Voiunteer  and 
have  detesited  the  word  Conscript.  It 
takes  a  volunteer  soldier  to  discrim- 
inate between  tihe  two.  The  compari- 
soii  in  like  a  team  composed  of  a 
lazy  mule  and  a  idpirited  horse.  Each 
is  actuated  by  a  different  motive.  The 
voluntetT  goes  of  his  own  free  will; 
I  be  cofiscriipt  is  coerced. 

1  was  An  my  21st  year  when  I  vol- 
unteered in  the  Confederate  service. 
I  was  so  good  and  so  green  tliat  my 
pa  thought  something  of  making  a 
preacher  of  me  but  I  told  him  that  the 
boys  were  all  volunteerimg  amd  that 
I  was  going  to  volunteer  too.  Lote  of 
girls  kis.&ed  m©  good  bye  as  I  had 
three  sisters  and  one  sweet-heaxt.  Two 
young  ladies  each  made  me  a  preseoit 
one  of  a  bible  ami  the  other  of  a 
rather  insigmificant  one  thait  I  was 
loath  to  take,  but  took  it  as  she 
said  that  I  would  need  it,  and  I  did, 
so  much  so  thait  Lt  soon  wore  out 
The  lady  who  gave  me  the  bihle  exac- 
ted two  promises  of  me,  one  was  to 
quit  swearing  and  the  other  was  to 
read  my  bible,  which  I  did.  Ajid  no 
doubt  this  conitriibuted  to  my  moral 
welfare,  as  I  did  not  let  a  day  pass 
that  I  did  not  seoretly  petition  our 
Creator  for  hi«  care  and  protection 
and  I  verily  believe  that  all  iintelUgent 
soldiers  did  the  same,  especially  in 
active  service,  for  the  f ataJAties-  that 
were  oonistantlv  cocuirimg  inspired 
th€m  with  a  deflire  for  His  protec- 
tion. 

Well,  we  orgamixed  a  company  with 
Clark  L.  Owens  as  our  captain,  a 
man  fifty-five  years  old  and  a  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  We  went  direict  to 
Houston  and  joined  the  Second  Tex- 
as Infantry,  commanded  by  ColomeJ 
.Tohn    C    Moore,    n.    Wes>t    Po'int    grad- 


uate and  a  brave  and  gallant  officer 
but  not  a  Christian,  for  he  waS'  red- 
headed, red-bearded,  red-faced,  and 
extremely  high-itempered.  It  was  on- 
ly a  s/hort  time  until  I  had  eitrong  »us- 
picions  that  I  had  joined  a  regiment 
of  devils.  In  every  regimeait  of  vol- 
unteer soldiers  there  is  a  strong  vein 
of  humor  that  is  ever  present  and 
never  abseint  even  in  the  thickest  of 
battle  .To  show  you  how  quickly 
they  can  go  from  the  very  serious  to 
the  very  ridiculous  I  will  describe 
this  scene. 

My  regiimefnt  was  doing  post  duty 
and  was  appointed  to  escort  the  re- 
maifns  of  Colonel  Thomas)  F.  Lubbock 
from  the  depot  down  in  town.  He 
was  placed  In  a  public  building  and 
lay  in  state  and  while  his  citizen  and 
soldier  friends  were  going  im  and 
viewing  him  the  regiment  was  lined 
up  iin  the  s.treet  listening  to  a  rose- 
bud orator  enlogizinig.  He  began  in 
thiis  way:  "Thomaa  F.  Lubbock  Is 
dead,  dead."  repeatnlng  this  three  tim- 
es. He  spoke  about  one  hour  and 
when  the  regiment  moved  off  immed- 
iately some  wag  started  the  ball  to 
rolling  by  repeaiting  his  first  words 
which  went  down  the  regimetnt,  two- 
thirds  of  the  boya  joining  in.  Thls'  was 
the  most  ridiculous  scene  I  ever  wit- 
nessed. Of  course,  the  regaiment  was 
disgraced  in  the  eyes  of  the  friend* 
of  Colonel  Lubbock  and  the  citizens 
of  Houston  were  glad  when  we  left, 
which  we  did  on  the  22nd  of  March 
1862,  going  direct  to  Tennessee,  reach- 
ing there  in  time  to  enjgage  in  the 
battle  of  Shiiloih  which  was  fought  on 
the  Gth  and  7th  of  A/pril.  It  wasi  this 
first  day's  fight  that  convinced  me 
fhrt  I  was  riight  in  my  conclusions 
for  my  regiment  fought  like  devils 
incarnate.  This  was  the  biggest  re- 
vival I  ever  witnessed.  There  was 
Tr^at  r'^joicmc:  for  w'th  an  army  one- 
third  less  than  that  of  the  enemy  we 
drove  them  tr>  the  Tenine?^'=-e  river  and 
many  a  poor  fellow  took  his  last  bath 
in  h!s  '^ffortn  to  cross.  We  ah^o  cap- 
20. 


tured  their  entire  ,  oommiissiairy  and 
quarter-imasteir's  stories  and  ate  sup- 
per and  breakfast  off  their  commis- 
saries  and  buit  for  the  death  of  our 
geiiieral  Late  that  evieniimg  we  would, 
have  capturied   the  entire  army. 

The  next  day,  the  7th  was  revival 
day  foir  the  federals,  for  General  Buell 
on  the  night  of  the  G'th  croarsied  over 
wiLh  forty  thousand  fresh  troops.  I 
was  wonnded  and  leift  on  the  battle 
field  and  am  ajnepared  to  advisie  all 
young  meai  gouig  into  battle  to  avoid 
be'ing  shot  in  the  left  leg  below  the 
knee.  I  was  not  in  a  position  to  isiee 
how  fast  the  boySi  moved  to  the  rear 
but  understood  they  made  a  g-ood 
record  for  speed,  whiich  was  wiisie  un^ 
der  the  •circuinstances. 

I  was  taken  direct  to  St.  Loniis 
and  placed  iin  McDoweli'siCollageand 
kiuidiy  caired  foir.  I  stayed  three  .mon- 
ths and  of  cour'ne  learned  a  .great  deal 
and  but  for  the  reason  that  I  did 
not  make  suffiiciient  progress  or  some 
other  reason  chcy  sent  me  to  the 
penitentiarj'  at  Alton,  Illinois,  where 
I  stayed  three  months  longe,r.  I  enjoy- 
ed thiiL;.  more  than  in  Co'liege  for  I 
had  moi'e  room  for  exercise  and  soon 
recruiite.d  snffiiciently  to  throw  away 
my  -cratches  and  mingle  with  the 
1200  ctheir  prii'jiQneriS  ;  and  enjoy 
their  a330.ciatac!5i.  If  you  wiill  excuse 
me  for  taking  you  to  the  pemitentiary 
I  will  bring  you  out  again  and  to-  be 
brief  will  say  that  I  was  soon  with 
my  reigdment. 

There  is  much  to  be  learned  of  the 
volumteier  sioldier.  For  fo.ur  yeiars  I 
heard  every  subject  under  the  sun 
cussed  and  disionssed  except  autoimio^ 
biles,  aeroplanes  and  hobb.le  skirts 
1  do  not  know  why  the  boys  did  not 
think  of  these. 

Now  my  friends,  not  desiring  to 
weary  your  patience  I  will  conclude 
with  a  few  more  thoughts..  The  de- 
moraMzing   .conditions  that  t.he 


home,  are  unpleasant  memories.  I 
might  elaborate  on  (these  largely  but 
will  refrain  from  doing  so  and  sim- 
ply inform  you,  and  would  have  you 
believe  me,  co.nditioinis  as  they  exist 
today  are  heaveinly  indeed  in  compari- 
son. And  I  would  urge  that  all  be 
intereste.d  in  the  dissemination  of 
the  Christian  reliigiion  and  Christian 
education  and  of  coursie  the  making 
of  good  and  wholesome  laws  for  th.e 
benefit  of  the  coniscript  and  conditions 
will  be  created  that  I  am  sure  will 
more  likely  meet  with  diviiniie  approv  - 
a'  than  .another  ciwil  war.  Th.e  vol- 
unteer Confederate  soldier  and  Vol- 
u.niLieeir  soildiej-  of  th.e  cross  tis  alijO.  K. 
The  Volunteer  soon  beicomes  imimune 
to  that  disease  called  acute  verdancy 
Not  so  the  conscript,  for  be  is  lack- 
ing in  iu'dependence  audi  is  perpetual- 
ly unider  the  tutorage  of  the  other 
fellow. 

I  thiank  you  ladies  for  your  atten- 
tion and  may  happiness  ever  aittend 
you,  may  nothing  disturb  your  pure 
thoughts  and  may  you  ever  be  lovely 
and  pretty  are  the  wis.hes  of  my 
heart. 


WAR    NOT  JUSTIFIABLE. 

(Written  during  the  Spanish-.'Vmerl- 
can  War) 


That  divi.ne.ly  instiituted  law  of  free 
moral  agency  is  as  applicable  to  an 
aggregation  of  men  as  to  the'  iinidiivid- 
ual  man,  a.nd  when  a  collection  of 
men  asjenible  together  and  devise 
phtiis  for  war,  cliaimiin.g|.itto|b'e| justi.fi- 
able  and  having  th'e  sanction  of  divin- 
ity is  equally  as  absurd  [to  my  |  mind  j  as 


for  tvyfo  individuals,  to  becomci  antago- 
civil  .  nistic   and   settle   t'hcir  grievances    by 
war  created,  both  in  the  army  and  at    rescirtiinig   to   armis,    resulting   perhaps 

'  21.        . 


in  the  death  cf  I,  aiwi  live  victwious 
party  claiming  the  Ix>rd  wk,s  oji  his 
side.  Whexii  ajman'aiiadiividuaJ  domain 
is  threatened  by  an  armed  foe,  he 
i*  justifiied  in  defending  It,  even  lif 
he  has  to  destroy  life  in  doing  oo. 
And  when  a  natiioirjs  fjera'iitox'y  Jsldnvad' 
t>d  by  an  armed  force,  theai,  and  oji- 
l.v  thicn,  its.  'She  Juatlfiied  am  resistling 
and  makinig  war  on  the] invader  [amdi  it 
woiild  be  cowardice  and  want  of  pat' 
riotisim  not  to  do  so,  and  under  these 
conditione  only,  if  e'Ver,  tho  leaders 
mighit  cl'aini  divine  diretvtion  or  aanc- 
ticn^  The  diomoralieing  effect  of  war 
and  the  absence  of  piety  and  the  un' 
favoraible  condiitions  for  sucli  in  arm- 
ed foaices,  and  the  wlckednessi  ajnd 
vice  necessairiiily,  created  iai  eiig3,gmg 
i:x  the  avocation  of  a  aoldder  is  con- 
chisive  evidence  that  the  creator  has 
nothdng  to  do  wdth  war. 

There  is.  we  admiit,  an  overruling 
provid&nce  that  is  coiiatantly  oiperaA- 
Ing  on.  Hives  and  heari.s  of  naitloms  or 
men  that  constitute  naitions,  but  pro- 


ft'ivd  '.ellinK  lof  what  a  grofut  life  pre- 
S(  rvor  Lhip  Rliblo  iu  by  carryiaig  In  It 
the  breast  pocke't.  Tho  old  aoldler 
knowii  Jiow  this  la  dotvo  — the  con- 
script or  cowardly  soldier  duj*inK  an 
pRgaigettnc-nit  has  frequcmtly  be(M 
known,  to  hide  in  the  brush  and  re.ad 
the  Bible  or  deck  of  cards  rcore  often 
the  kiiLitcr,  instccd  of  boiirg  in  the 
fight.  By  this  niefjus  lidis  Life  v/aa 
preaefTved. 

Becausei  good  accrues  to  men  oj' 
nationK  as  a  reKuJt  of  war  Ls  no  ovi- 
dence-  oif  liits  justine&s  or  riightcouaness 
oi'  that  tlie  creator  aancitions  it.  We 
n;ay  be  lurod  dato  ithe  hujiief  that  H« 
does  beciuise  pecuniary  advantages 
and  moral  achievements!  ardise  from 
it.  If  Toim  shoots  down  poor  Bilattherie 
will  also  be  pecuniary  bcncfite,  espec- 
ially if  BiJi's  life  is  insured.  Hi-j  v^^id 
ow  iis  OTitablished  in  buainesB  aiid 
started  on  the  road  to  prosperity- 
This  is  frequently  the  case  aaid  it 
would    be    extireocoely    absjurd    to    aay 


videiDce  is  oniy  guidiing  ai?d  direct-  |  that  the  LK>rd  was  onj  Tom's  side, 
ing  those  who  submit  to  his  laws,  j  While  we  belieive  thort:  rigiht  and  jus- 
In  order  to  be  lyroperly  qualified  to  tice  will  ultimately  prevail  the  Lord 
become  a  soldiej-  and  a  formidable  aiii  .  seems  from  observation  to  be  on  the 
tagoncet,  there  is  seemimgly  implant-  sj,[],e  of  the  ytrongest  and  beet  equip- 
ed  in  the  mind  a  hatred  of  the  foe,  j>f  fj.  Two  of  the  ablest  men  amd 
contriQiIBiKg  chanacteniictic  of  the  CJ''eQ''  suatesmen  ith©  world  has  ever  produc- 
tor  and  producing  In  j  the  human  breast  |  cxl  were  Gladstone  and  Bismark.  The 
an  elemeait  that  is  antagonistic  to  1  former  not  only  opposed  war  except 
whajt  we  are  tutored  to  beldeve  as  the    j„  ^.^g^  ^f  invasion ,     but     averted  it 


controlling  characteristic  of  the  Crea 
toi,  that  is  love  and  mercy.  We  ad- 
rait  there  have  been  a  few  exceptdioiis 
to  this  rule;  in  a  few  isolated  cases 
our  warrior  Icadorsi  have  majinitained 
their  proper  alleigiance  to  the  creator 
while  prosecutdnig  a  war.  These  onjy 
are  the  true  heroes,  and  these  only 
should  be  oulogiaed; 

The  natural  tendency  of  a  soldier 
life,  judgdiug  fti'oan  a  'oua-  year  ob- 
servatdion  and  experience,  is  demor- 
alizajtion,  so  mtich  so  that  in  our  op- 
imion  a  company  of  preachers  would 
be  taking  a  lot  of  chances  of  becom- 
ing demoralized,  especially  in  a  war 
of  extende^d  duration.  Preachers  us- 
ed to  be  very  fond  of  citing  instances 


when    possible  and  when   precipitated 
usic-id  means  to  stop  its  prosecution. 

The  latter  in  his  last  days  acknow- 
ledged that  ho  hadi  been  instrumental 
in  bringing  about  three  wars,  saw 
ht^v  they  could,  have  boen  a'Verijed;anid 
rt'greitted  ho  hfjd  rjot  stopped  them. 
The  ^Vmerdcaji  people  ae  well  as  the 
English  would  do  well  to  emulate  the 
example  cf  these  two  statesmen,.  But 
then,  despite,  ths  dire  consequences | of 
war,  it  seemw  h'story  has  '■o  repeat 
itself.  T'hoi  greed  for  Cold  love  of  ccn- 
qunst,  fame  and  adventure  must  be 
gratified;  that  ambitious  <^lement 
wliich  is  so  closely  aUiod  to  the  brute 
must  be  gratified,  so  that  our  warrior 
lorders.   Gen.    Theopolis   Dolittle     and 


22. 


X 


and  otli^jfisi,  nmy  have  theiir  brows 
crowaed  WBili  IcjiireJic^  and  have  colos- 
riial  mauiblc!  mcjinuinuyivto  oroct'jid  in 
their  meimoiry. 

lit  1,3  eViGin  claimod,  that  in  goi-iiig  900 
miles  froiin  home  to  tho  Phaiipime  Is- 
landa  to  fimd  a  foe  to  oonquer,  te  jus^ 
tiflaible  from  a  moi'ajl  stand/poiinit. 
Cathiolucism  bojng  tihe  doffniimanit  rciis:- 
ion  our  D.D's  claiim  it  Jis  oipipnesiBdfVio, 
and  we  aire  jiisit.ifiiiablie  Im  slnughtejniiing 
large  p'Sircemtiagie  rf  the  populatiiOini  im 
ondcir  to  makie  the  renniimdcr  accept 
our  veirsiiofti  of  the  gosipol  (regOindliests 
oi  the  loss  of  the  litvosi  c<f  sievoral 
thousand  of  our  young  laon  in  so  do- 
iiug  'the  creami of |th/8  Illation'.  Wiejcaai- 
not  become  rccoiiciled  to  the  pniinoi'p- 
lo  of  foroiible  ohrlsitianity.  If  we 
■couW  wo  woiUiId  fayvor  shoioititig'  it  in- 
to some  of  our  homo  folks. 


GENEALOGY  OF  THE  SMITH  FAM- 
ILY. 

Ralph  Smith,  San  Marc<«, 

Alt  the  first  glance,  eX  this  headimg 
the  reader  wouJd  justly  conclude 
that  the  writer  had  asisumed  to  him- 
delif  an  herculiean  task,  but  as  my  ob- 
je-C't  is  to  give  in  brief  a  biiiography  of 
my  own  family  ancastors,  excluding 
ail  of  tue  name  of  Jolin  Smith,  there 
being  none  so  caijed  in  my  anceatry, 
the  task  will  aeem'  easier. 

My  father  AJfred  Smith,  was  bora 
Mercih  29ith  1810  in  the  state  of  Lofuasr 
ara.  and  died  Augusit  16tih  1889,  in 
.lacfescin  county  Texas.  I  have  no  re- 
cord of  my  mother's  bintih  or  death, 
but  ahe  Mlvcd  to  be  65  years  old.  The 
wiiter  waisjboraiiJuliy  19:th  1840|atlCeai- 
trcviille.  La.  My  grandfather,  Henry 
Joliaininon  Simith,  was  boni  and  rear- 
ed in  the  state  of  Maine.  He  was  a 
keeper!  of  a  light  house  on,|the|coast  of 
La.,  and  white  engaged  in  this,  avoca- 
tion was  drowned  when  my  father 
was  a  ten  year  oM  boy.  My  father's 
mother  was  of  Irfeih  pare^ntage,  her 
family  name  v/as  iVrmstrong.   She  liv- 


ed (to  b«  80  years  old.  My  mofther'a 
parente,,  Wm  H.  Cook  and  Martha 
Cook,  for  whomi  my  mother  was  naan- 
ed,  were  natives  of  Ohio  in  which 
state  my  mother  was  neared  at  the 
town  of  MiHedigeville.  This  grand- 
mother li(ved  to  be  70  years  old.  My 
grandfather  Cook  lived  to  be  87  years 
old  and  served  in  the  war  of  1812.  H 
lived  until  I  was  near  grown | and |afitfcn 
deeply  interested  me  by  repeating  his 
i-o,oolJi£,iot,ions.  of  the  war,|and|iniapiring 
me  with  a  great  desiire  to  beicome  a 
soLdiier.  I  feared  then  the  opportun- 
iity  would  never  coone  but  it  did  come 
I  had  thriee  first  cousins  ithat  sprung 
from  a  branch  of  this  Cook  family, 
their  names  being  WilHaim  Henry jHar- 
rjfcon,  Benjamin  Aibijah  Ciintis,  and 
Zachariah  Taylor  Cook.  Being  unab- 
le to  tote  such  names  for  long,  they 
neoeisisariilly  passed  away  early  m  Me. 
Some  very  noted  characiterdjsitics'  of 
my  amteoedeints  were  that  they  were 
all  bom  ATlith.  their  eyes  open,  none 
had  fits,  and  none  of  them  ever  were 
himig,  woint  to  jail,  the  penitontiary 
or  the  leigislature.  All  were  big  eat- 
ers, and  some  successful  in  leading  a 
mule  to  waticr  or  '^niving  a  cow  down 
a  lame.  Of  all  my  amcestOTB  that  I 
have  any  knowledge  nO)nie|liv,ed| always 
some  succumed  to  disease  while 
otiiers'  more  fortunate  lived  uimtil  thei/ 
machimjery  wore  out  and  subiniitted 
to  that  irirevocable  decroe  of ithe  Crea- 
tor, and  went  the  way  of  all  moci- 
kiind.  SoiHie  were  heroes  im  war,  but 
j  aj>  hero  womship  is  of  modernlcreatiioin 
and  not  the  fad  theUf  as  now  no  co- 
lossal marble  moniumant  mariks  the 
grave  of  my  anicestors.  A  fii-st  cous- 
in cf  my  faijhor's  whom  afll  readers  of 
Texas  hiistory  remember,  took  an  ac- 
tive pai-t  in  driving  the  eaieiny  from 
Texas  soil;  I  aMude  to  Eras+us  Smith 
conumonly  known  as  Deaf  Smith.  I 
have  often  hecr''  my  father  refer  to 
him  they  having  been  raised  togeth- 
er. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  when  I  was 
tv/elve  years  old  my  father  with  his 
family    immigrated    to    Texas    aboard 

23. 


a  siaiili  vessel,  landdaig  at  the  old  tmvn 
oi'  Inidianola,  when  tr  an  sterling  our 
plunder  to  a  cteam  boat  we  had  the 
h&ncir  of  being  a  parity  to  ascension, 
oit"  the  first  steam  vessel  up  the  Navir 
dad  rd(ver  to  old  Texanna,  hieiad  of  ,na- 
vigajiicjn  atnd  our  futuj-e  homo,  getting 
in  p.roxi/mity  to  ithis  little  village^  in 
early  mcfl'iniiiig  hours,  the  boat  began 
a  i:i3irLe.s  of  sharp  and  loud  whistlios 
which,  reaiulted  in  effecting  a  com- 
plo^e  iSitampede  of  naitiivcs  ajnd  stock. 
Some  white  folks,  all  the  niggers, 
hordes,  cattJe,  hogis,  dogs,  scampered 
off  to  the  prairde  no  duobt  coinicludiog 
that  the  judgomemt  day  had  come. 

My  first  recollecticm  of  a  school 
houso  was  tihnt  the  inside  wall  was 
adormed  with  holes.  I  was  frequent- 
ly caused  to  stand  cai  ome  foot  with 
bcok  in  loft  hand  the  index  finger  of 
my  ri^ht  hamd  inserted  im  a  hole  in 
thy  waJil  and  in.  itihis  atttotuide  I  had  to 
leani  my  lessom.  If  I  faAled,  which  I 
often  dcd,  1  wais  conducted  to  or  near 
the  center  of  the  schoiol  hoaiee  and 
for  further  piunishment  placed  on  a 
dunce  blcck  with  a  dunce  cap  on  my 
head  and  leather  9peiotacle:iion|imy  ey- 
es, in  thiis  conjddtiion  I  had  to  endure  ' 

the  scrutioiizing  gaze  of  the  enttire  |  At  the  earnest  request  of  an  o;d 
school,  which  was  huiniiilctang  indeed.  I  lady  friend  and  school  mate  who  in- 
Fontiina'jGiliy  fcr  me  there  wsasi  siiffi-  j  u:ists  that  I  wilte  something  of  my 
cierjt  sympathy  manifested  fcr  me  to  !  boyhood  and  young  macihcod  days, 
encourage  me  to  maHie  some  heroic  ef  j  I  have  decided  to  give  to  the  public 
forts  to  master  my  tasku,.  I  succeed-  j  something  thcjt  came  under  my  obsar- 
ed  to  that  exibenit  that  divorced  rae  j  vation  and  tio  whiich  I  was  a;,  cye-wit- 
forever  freni  these  modes   of  punish-  i  ness,  and  which  I  have  not  the  least 


sinimon  beer.  Now  we  have  virgin 
pullets,  turkey  and  cranberry  sauce, 
chicken  and  salmon  salad,  metropoli- 
tcn  and  angel  cake,  and  other  num- 
erouii  delilcacies. 

>\jid  the  piOipular  theme  of  tiie  day  is 
the  heroes  of|the|war  whoiareeuloigjiz- 
eu  even  from  .the  pulpits.  For  shame 
when  if  these  heroes,  many  of  them, 
could  have  their  just  deser.ts,  would 
have  a  simiilan  inscription  on  their 
torabsitonieis  as  that  furnished  to  old 
Keisel  by  an  Inda.an  poet,  thui^'ly: 
There  was  man  who  died  of  late, 

For  wham  the.  angels  did  impatient- 
ly wait. 
With    outstretched   wings    of  love 

To  waft  him  to  the  realtos  above. 
But   while  the   engeLs    were    hovering 
in  thje  skies.. 

And  d!(2ipnting  over  the  prize. 
In  slCippad  the  devil  like  a  we&ael, 
-And  down  to  hades  he  canTied  Keisel. 


RECOLLECTION         OF         MY 
HOOD    DAYS. 


BOY- 


meuit. 


idea  that   not    another   man    in    Hays 


My  first  recollccticns  of  preaching  i  County  ever  wit.ncsscd  a  like  scene, 
was  in  a  schoiol  ho.use;  the  advent  of  j  About  the  year  18.56  therelcanie  from 
the  paroon  was  looked  to  with  joy,  South  Carolina  a  bachelor  man.  poesi- 
the  men  would  herald  it  abroad,  the  bly  thirty-five  years  old,  wi.th  six  nc- 
wcihsn  would  cry'  aloud  '"the  parson  groes  and  other  proipeity.  He  bought 
is  a  coim.ira    or  comin."  i  ."n  un.!mprov?d  trrct  of  tdimbcred  Ic^iid 

Now  we  have  massive  church  bui.!d- 1  about  t.'f leen  miles  from  old  Texan.n.a 
ings  in  every  .town  with  clear  sound- ■  iu  .Jackson  county,  moved  on  it  with 
in,g-  bells    proclaimiTig   the   coming  of    his  negroes  r.nd  began  clearing  it  up, 


the    Sabbath   day,     and      parsonis    are 
thicker  than  cotton  .taiil  rabbits. 

My  earliy  recollections  of  a  Christ- 
mas dinner  was  that  it  consisted  of 
br.ked    possuim,   sl/iced    potato   pie  amd 


01-  had  his  negro  slaves  to|do|so  while 
h-  folloiwed  buying  a.id  aelling  horses 
ar.d  was  frequently  abce.it  for  several 
weeks. 

At   the    time    of    the      circum.-j.tan.ee 


giinger  cake,   washed   down    with   per- j  that  I  desire  to  meiition   he  had  been 


24. 


aba8int  soveral  moniths  and  his  near-  tbey  were  extremely  happy  and  each. 
est    neighibon;  hadibeg'an|tolhave|S(tirong  one   was  placed  upon  his  own  coffin 


suspiioionu  ithat  somiothiiig  liad  hap- 
pened tO|  him  and  |i0omm6niced|ito|  make 
some  investigrjtiions  whach  rcsailibed  in 
the  arrosit  aad  iniccjrccraiticn  in  the 
county  jail  of  three  noigro  men  and 
one  woman.  Shortly  afiter  being'  plac- 
ed in  jail  Ihey  all  confessed  to  the 
killing  of  tliiGiir  matJtcr.  Their'  no.anes 
wene:  Zefee  who  was  a  preacher  and 
John  and  Jack  the  oldoGt,  r,  man  of 
herculean  strength;  six  feiet  three  in- 
ches in.  heighjth.  And  ho  was  the 
"genitleman"  who  wielded  the  ax  thoit 
^'ont  hdc.  masitor  into  etGrnity  while  he 
was  a3lc<:'-p  in  tlie  clearing  with  his 
sfiddle  for  a  pillow  in  the  middle  of 
The  day. 

They  threw  his  body  into  a  bm&h 
p!le  and  buniied  it  to  ashesi  and  it 
was  siaLd  that  overythdng  burned  up 
but  his  heart  rjnd  we  boys  and  many 
lueu  were  supersitiiUous  enough  to  be- 
lieve this  rot.  Possiibly  it  was  so  as 
it  might  have  beeai  made  of  stone.  It 
was  currently  reported  'that  this  man, 
before  moving  to  Texas,  had  a  live 
negro  placed  in  a  coffin  and  made  2 
other  negroes  saw  him  in  two  with  a 
cross-cut  saw.  I  suppose  that  he  died 
for  no  human  being  could  stand  such 
an  operation  as  that  and  livie. 

I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of  the 
above  but  from  my  viewpoint  of 
things  now  if  tliis  man  practiced  one- 
half  of  the  cruelit.y  that,  these  poor 
slaves  accused  him  of  he  undoubtedly 
got  his   just   deserts. 

Well  in  due  course  of  Itimej  the |three 
men  were  condemned  to  be  publicly 
hung.  The  jui-y  that  tried  the  wom- 
an failed  to  agrcp  asi  one  man  on  it 
would  not  consent  to  hang  a  woman, 
:!o  She  waaifinallylllberated.  The|three 
men  had  their  usual  thirty  days  to 
prepare   for    their    final   departure   in 


in  a  wagon  aoid  moved  off  under  a 
strong  guard  of  armed  men  to  the 
gallows,  one-mile  off  in  the  open  post 
oak  wood  and  near  a  public  road. 

As  they  were  marched  to  the  place 
they  sang  all  the  way  some  old  bible 
hymn  with  a  crowd  of  us  school)  boys 
as  hearera.  On  reaching  the  gallows 
They  found  waiting  the  largest  crowd 
ot  whiibo  mjen  and  negroes  of  both  cex- 
e>s  I  ever  saw  together,  the  negroes 
being  coercedi  to  see  the  siight.  If 
tiny  was  left  behind  at  home  it  was 
dead  ones  and   babies. 

The  tliree  men  w"ere,madelto|asoend- 
t  J  the  top.  and  on  the  trap  door  and 
'aach  given  a  few  minutes  to  talk.  Old 
Jack  and  John  made  short  speeches 
but  Zieke,  the  preacher,  made  quite  a 
lengthy  speech,  all  claimiijng  to  be  en 
route  to  heaven. 

When  the  drop  was  made  Jack's 
and  John's  necks  were  broken  but 
Zfke't>  was  not  and  it  seemed  as 
though  he  would  not  give  it  up  and 
struggled  fearfully,  his  feet  moving 
with  astonishing  rapidity  which  ex- 
cited an  old  colored  lady  who  ex- 
claimed in  a  moment  of  rapture: 
"Dat  nigger  sho'  been  a  good  dancer 
in  his  day.'. 

NotwithstandiJng  the  solemnity  of  the 
oocasiion  this  uncalled  for  outburst 
brought  some  simdiles  to  the  boys. 

From  younig  .manhood  up  I  have  ev- 
OA'  be>on  irresisitibly  drawn  toward 
preachers,  especially  negro  pre-achers, 
therefore  I  got  to  withdn  ten  feot  of 
Zeke  so  I  hoard  all  he  said  and  altho 
a  thoughtlosa  boy  I  was  impressed 
with  it,  too  much  so  for  my  good,  for 
I  could  see  those  dead  negroes  for  a 
month  afterward,  especially  after  eat- 
ing a  bag  supper. 

This  spot  of  ground  became  sacred. 


which  time|the;differentjpreGche.rs  had  ;^  much  so  that  the  public  road  was 
them  in  charge  and  administered  spir-  changed  and  no  man,  white  or  black 
itual  consolation  to  them,  by  which  I    ever  got       naar      it,      day      or  night. 


liave   no  doubt  they   wer<'    very  much 
benefited. 

At  any  race  by  the  day  of  cxet'iition 


except  one  of  my  chums  who 
claimed  to  ride  near  the  spot  ofL?n 
on  dark  nights  and  was  not  the  least 


26. 


bii    afraid,  cus  hic  would   go  by   whiis- 
tliiig.     HJG   namo  v/as  Ananias  No.    2. 

Many   were     itlie  ghosts     afterward 
seen  in  the  viciniity. 

Well,     the     viilfliage     doctor  bought 
the  body  of  big  Jaick  wiitii  the  inten- 
tion of  imakiiing  a  skeletotn  for  exMbi- 
tion.     Of  course  this  imtsresited       all 
the   boys   and   we   looked   forward   to 
the  time  with     eagerness     ai:d  impa- 
tience to  the  tiinie  when  we  would  see; 
this    curiosity.     Well   the   'time  came.  | 
Some   man   rode   to  the  school  house  \ 
and    roponted    to    us    that   the   docLor  i 
had  Jack's  bones  together.     We  boys 
diisniiiissed  the  achiool,  leaving  the  tea-j 

eher  in  charge  of  the  girls,  roiid  belt-  i 

i 
ed   for   the   doctor's    ofiice    in    a   run,  i 

same  three  hundred  yards  off.  On  our  i 
arrival    the    doctor    told    us-   thaA.    we  i 
would  finid  whiajt  we  waoiited  in  a  clos- 
et in  the  reai"  of  his  office.  | 


A  few  of  usi  approached  the  place  . 
and  peeped  i:i.  There  we  slw  Jack's 
bones  all  'together  in  a  box,  wliere 
they  remained  only  a  sihort  time  and 
theoi.  werc|  rLumped  iatOi  ohe  Na^-idad 
river.  The  Doctor  was  not  as  brave 
a?  he  thought  and  had  no  noUon  of 
staying  in  hiis  office  with  Jack's  skele- 

tOiU. 

We  boysi  all^vay^  tCio^aght  cur  te.iicCi- 
er  was  die  principall  ac'.ori  iti  pltviv- 
ning  this  Aprdl  F^ooL  sicheme  for  our 
benefiit  for  he  was  a  jolly  good  feil- 
low  y^heai  net  iin  echjool  tryrlrjg;  to 
hammer  somo  bctok  scusio  ii'^lo  our 
thick  heads. 

Well  when  'the  negroes  v/ere  so't 
free  the  ghost  disappeared  from  tihe 
land.  I  have  never  seen  a  gh'ost 
since  the  ciivil  war,  for  which  I  thank 
the  Lord. 


26. 


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